


The One Night Stand that Might be More than That

by thenumberonerubbish



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), I'm Sorry, It just kinda came about, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance is an artist, M/M, Murder Mystery, One Night Stand, Smut, keith is a famed detective
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-03-16 00:18:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 38,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13624533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenumberonerubbish/pseuds/thenumberonerubbish
Summary: Keith was a bed hog.Lance hadn't noticed it once he had had sex with the guy, but right when he had woken in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. To Lance it was like that meme about girls taking up most of the bed with Keith stretched out like he had been doing yoga in his sleep. His back was arched, his legs wide and wild, and his neck thrown back that it made Lance winch. Lance was left to the smallest most coldest part of the bed for the rest of the night, as it became apparent that Keith not only hogged the bed but hogged the blankets as well.------A Klance fanfiction, and obviously they've already gotten the party started.





	1. Chapter 1

Keith was a bed hog.

Lance hadn't noticed it once he had had sex with the guy, but right when he had woken in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. To Lance it was like that meme about girls taking up most of the bed with Keith stretched out like he had been doing yoga in his sleep. His back was arched, his legs wide and wild, and his neck thrown back that it made Lance winch. Lance was left to the smallest most coldest part of the bed for the rest of the night, as it became apparent that Keith not only _hogged_ the bed but _hogged_ the blankets as well. Beside him, his cell phone buzzed as a message flashed across the screen. 

 _ **Did you have sex?**  _ And after some thinking another message followed by the same person. ** _Did you enjoy it?_** Lance stared at the screen.

 _Only_ Pidge would have the gall to ask someone that after their _first gay_ one night stand, and only Pidge would be the one to ask over text. Hunk was probably dying with anticipation at his apartment right now, his finger on the send button as he contemplated about sending it. Eventually Hunk would delete the text and instead summon Lance to the nearest coffee shop to talk it over. Lance thought for a moment before replying. 

 _He's a bed hog._ Pidge had answered within seconds.

 _ **Duh, he's a single child. He's probably never shared a bed in his life.**_ Which was true. Lance had to share a bed with his older siblings for awhile, and then when his nephew and niece came over he was sentenced to share a bed with them. The joys of being the youngest child of his mother and father. **_But you haven't answered my question. Did you enjoy it?_**  

 _I still wouldn't be in my own bed if I hadn't Katie_. Lance snickered as he send it and then with a following text he said: _And anyway, he's a good kisser_. 

 ** _Please no details... I still want to be able to look at you and Keith the same way, Lance._** Moments followed as the next text came. ** _So was it worth it? Skipping out on a date with Nyma to get some with Keith Kogan?_** Lance looked over to wear Keith still lay sleeping, his hair a mess from where Lance had pulled it last night. He enjoyed those simple pleasures. He grinned at he replied. 

 _Yeah, I guess. He's better than Nyma anyway._  

 ** _Ohhhhhhhhh. Matt is so going to hear this when he gets up. Actually hold on._**  

 _????_   Pidge didn't reply, and so leaving the conversation on hold for awhile, Lance took a discarded blanket and wrapped it around himself as he made his way down the hall and into the kitchen. Phone in hand Lance made his way to the cupboard and began to rummage around for something that might but a stopper on Keith's hunger. He _could_ make lactose intolerant pancakes, as it was known across the city that Keith Kogan, famed detective, was lactose intolerant. And not only that but he was widely known as gay, and was often on the prowl for something to do. It was only by luck that Lance had managed to get him to his bed as Keith seemed to be sought after by many people. 

Lance's phone vibrated as Pidge managed to text back.

 ** _He's laughing. I think he might die from it. If he dies you'll be the one to confess that you were the cause of this. Maybe you can confess to Keith?_** Lance made a sound in his throat and turned into the direction of the bathroom as the toilet flushed. The bed hog was up and kicking. Not even a long one night stand could keep him down. 

 _I've gotta go, Keith is up_.

Balancing a pan and some flour, Lance placed them both on the kitchen top just as Keith managed to walk through the kitchen doorway. Lance turned to look at him. "Breakfast?" He asked as Keith sat down at the table and yawned with a nod. "A can make pancakes, lactose intolerant mind you. Or I can make a smoothie...." Lance gave Keith a look to suggest the Keith had to hurry up and chose, so he chose to provoke Keith into saying something. "Or are you still tired from last night-" Keith huffed a laugh. 

"Are you joking? I take it that you were already tired before I was even sated." Lance smiled at Keith, he had gotten an answer, not the one he was looking for, but an answer. 

"First time with a guy okay? And I'm assuming that you just want pancakes." Keith's features softened, like he had forgotten, although Lance could bet all his student loan that he had teased Lance without mercy the whole night and so taking that into account, Keith surely had not forgotten. 

"That's right," Lance turned around, his phone buzzed one more time. This time it wasn't Pidge. Without a double glance at his phone, he swiped the notification away and went to gathering the rest of the ingredients. "Question. Why do you have almond milk in your fridge? It's not like your lactose intolerant." 

"Maybe I like the taste?" Lance suggested as he placed the milk down. "But no. It's not that I like the taste it's just that my niece is lactose intolerant and she comes over often so she can get away from home and have the easy life for a couple nights or less," Lance admitted, "It's nice having company," Lance stopped measuring ingredients for a brief few seconds before stirring once more "I forgot to ask. Are you working on any case at the moment? Coffee?" Keith gave a nod.  

"Yeah. Although you've probably never heard of it." 

"Shoot." Lance muttered, his tongue poking out as he concentrated on mixing the batter and turning on the jug.

"The Voltron case." Keith's voice went dark and husky, like he didn't want to be thinking of that right now.

"Wait. You mean Allura and Alfor that live down the rich side of town. Got a crazy butler named Coran?" Lance asked. Lance could hear Keith tabbing his fingers on the table. 

"Yeah. You've been there?" Keith asked, his fingers stopped tabbing on the table. 

"Yep. My life takes me everywhere. People who enjoy art, rich mind you, and artist themselves are often invited to venues where their work is celebrated among those with common interests."

"Hmm sounds boring." Lance snorted a laugh as he plugged in his pan at the wall and the jug clicked. 

"Anyway. I've been there for some art celebration. They're lovely people, although I don't see what they would do to get involved in a case." Lance commented as he took out a knife and sliced some butter and put it into the pan. While waiting for that to melt Lance set out two mugs on the kitchen top. 

"A murder," Lance frowned and with a sigh he began to mix the batter once more. There was silence as they both seemed to be taken away into their own thoughts. "Did you know Rolo Rhoads?" Lance chewed his lip as he turned around with bowl in hand to look at him. 

"The Bounty Hunter? He's dead?" Lance asked, when no answer came Lance continued "He was at Allura's own celebrations often. Was an art enthusiast. Very wealthy. How do you take your coffee?" Keith's eyebrows went high, Lance's own eyebrows went up. "Wow your eyebrows are learning how to fly."

"Did he have any enemies. Any reason to dislike him?" Lance's tongue clicked. 

"You know this sounds like one of those cheesy crime shows that you see on tv. But no. Not that I know of. People disliked him yes, but who wouldn't? He cheated on his girlfriends and boyfriends, might I add."

"Were you one of those-" Lance almost felt insulted. 

"No. Definitely not. First time remember? Anyway lots of people disliked him, none enough to kill him, or what I know of. So how do you take your coffee?" Lance turned back around, and with a big spoon, he spooned some batter into the pan. 

"Any rivals then? And just black" Keith asked. Lance blew out loudly from his mouth and watched the batter sizzle on the surface of the pan. Finally he made spooned in the coffee and tipped the hot water into the mug. 

"Do you ever stop working? But no. No rivals. You could talk with Nyma, she was his partner and girlfriend for awhile, until he cheated on her." Lance could hear Keith take a deep breath. 

"Nyma Charbet? The pretty blonde?' Lance eyed him suspiciously over his shoulder as he stirred the spoon around, "What? I'm gay not blind."

"Yes her. But she's not really the killing type. She's nice for a Bounty Hunter," Lance set the coffee back down on the kitchen counter and flipped the pancake over and whistled. "This looks nice for a _Lance_ pancake." Keith made a sound in his throat. 

"Do you refer to yourself in third person alot or does that just come and go as a phase?" Hmm touchy. 

"Trust me, Keith, I'd rather that if people say my name instead of people saying mine. You get where I'm coming from." Keith smirked as Lance turned to face him, briefly forgetting the pancake cooking. He took in the sight of Keith who was just dressed in one of Lance's shirts and his own underwear and set down the coffee beside Keith before leaning back against the kitchen counter. 

"Yes. I think I got the picture quiet clear from what happened last night," Lance made a gesture at Keith. "How about you. I've told you what I do, and I know that you do the impossible. But other than that what do you do?" Keith asked. Lance turned away to avoid blushing. "I know artist don't get a great salary unless they're dead or if they're really really famous, so how did you afford a reasonable home out of your wage?" Lance made a point of removing the pancake from the pan and putting it on a plate. 

"Allura helped me." Keith's eyebrows, which had just gone back to normal level after they had tried to fly, now went back to flying. 

"Voltron case Allura?" Lance nodded, and set down the pancake. 

"Do you know any other Allura? Yes her. We went to the same yoga class and that's how I meet her. Anyway when her father started doing venues for people involved in art she gave me a temporary job as.... I don't know, salesman. It was my job to get people interested in stopping by and giving her father back his reputation. So she bought me a house and said that she'd continue to pay my bills as long as I kept enticing people into the Altean Manor. It's how people started buying my paintings and how I eventually starting getting invites to venues such as theirs."  

"So you're their propaganda in the flesh?" 

"Basically yes. But it doesn't stop me from being under tons of student loan debts."

"So what do you do in your spare time?" Keith asked. 

"I work as an assistant to the Holt Co. A friend works there. It's an alright salary but I make do," Keith nodded in understanding. To avoid embarrassment at watching Keith eat, Lance turned around to make another pancake. "Any hobbies that you have? Favorite animal? Colour? Any of that? Or do detective just sit in a dark corner muttering over research and potential suspects?" Keith laughed as he picked up the lemon juice that was set down on the table and squirted it on his pancake, Lance could hear him. 

"Red, and hippos." Lance coughed, and then choked in shock, when he finally finished his spasm he replied. 

"Hippos?" Lance asked "Looking at you I would have thought it would be like a wolf or bear, something dangerous." Keith cleared his throat.

"Hippos _are_ dangerous. 2,900 people in Africa are killed every year by Hippos. _They're_ dangerous," Keith made a face at Lance as he turned around again "Any favorite animals. Food? Colour?"

"Blue and garlic knots. My mum use to make them often when I was back home."

"Never had one before."

"You're missing out," Lance commented. Lance's phone buzzed again, this time it was Lance's niece. "Oh is it alright if my niece just pops around in like five minutes to see me? I think she wants to ask me something. Actually thinking about it I've got to drop her off to school."

"Your house, and besides I'll just be here eating." To emphasis on what he was saying Keith took another bite of pancake and smiled. Lance rolled his eyes and went back to cook in his pancake. Once the Lance had cooked 2 more he turned around and made his way to his bedroom to get changed. He wouldn't want his niece to see anything private and so to prevent future questions for Keith he brought the blanket and dumped it on his lap. "What?" 

"My niece is going on 5 years old, she doesn't need to see you with just underwear on," The doorbell sounded just as Lance finished his sentence "And here she is, innocent and needs protecting." Lance quickly went to the door where his sister and niece stood waiting. 

"Lance! It's nice to see you up and early this morning," Lance's sister, Camila, commented, her daughter went into a hug, barely reaching Lance's waist as she did so. Camila's eyes looked behind Lance. "And it only means one thing..." she looked down at her daughter, Isabella, and with a whisper continued "...you've got company." Lance made a gesture. A wave at the hand to soothe his sisters thoughts. 

"Don't worry Cam. He's dressed." Her eyebrows shot up as she looked over Lance's shoulder once more. 

"A boy now? Interesting. Do I get introduced?"

"No. He's eating and currently only wearing underwear and a shirt." Camila's scolded him as she rubbed her daughters hair affectionately. 

"Well I'd better leave you to it. Remember Izzy is just starting school so wants to be there early so she can meet all her new friends." Soft footfalls sounded behind Lance as Keith rounded the corner, turning Lance looked at him and was relieved to see that he had wrapped the blanket around his waist. 

"Uncle Lance who is that?" Isabella asked, her eyes now on the man behind her uncle. Keith froze, a pan in his hand which was smoking. Lance turned around to smile at his sister. 

"Keith, Camila, Camila, Keith. And this here Isabella is Keith and Keith this is Isabella." Keith waved vaguely, a guilty smile on his face. Isabella giggled as she attempted to hid in between Lance's legs. 

"Keith," Camila greeted her hand out for Keith to shake "As in Keith Kogan, the detective on the Voltron case?" She smiled at him. Lance could hear Keith take a deep breath. 

"That's me." 

"Wow. Didn't know my brother had it in him," Lance coughed uncomfortably as he gave his sister a dark look. "I mean, him being shy and all," Lance could almost hear the unheard snicker come from Keith as Camila stood there grinning like an idiot at both Keith and Lance "Well I better go. You don't get paid just standing around. Now be good Izzy or else uncle Lance will tell me all about it, okay?" Isabella nodded as she wrapped her arms around her uncles leg. "Okay. See you after work." With a smile and a wave Lance walked into the house once more and shut the door. Isabella still clutching to his leg. 

Lance gave Keith a guilty look, "My sisters a law and detective nerd, finds everything about it fascinating. Sorry about that." Keith made a face and Isabella let go of Lance's leg as she raced to the bathroom. 

"Well it can't be as bad as your pan went up in flames." Lance snorted as he watched Keith wave the pan about, the batter burnt and crisp within. Seriously, Lance leaves him for moments and breakfast become charcoal. 

"The blankets slipping." Lance commented while averting his eyes from Keith's pale exposed thighs. 

"Yeah sorry, kind of panicked when I saw flames so I didn't tie the knot probably." keith grumbled as he re-adjusted the blanket. 

"You can use the bathroom if you want to shower our night away." Keith laughed. 

"I thought we were meant to be PG?" Keith's eyes gleamed. Lance knew that if Isabella wasn't within the house it wouldn't just be the one night stand under both of their belts. 

"Izzy is in the bathroom an-"

"Uncle Lance," Lance jumped in fright as he turned to look at his niece. "Can you turn on the tv?" Lance beamed at her as he quickly walked past her to the sitting room. 

"You remember how to change channels?" He asked as he turned to tv on and put it on a channel he knew she liked and he handed the remote to her. She gave him a look suggesting boredom. 

"Uncle. I'm five. I'm a big girl now so of course I know how to." And that was that, Lance's niece seated herself down on a beanbag and watched the morning cartoons. Shaking his head Lance made his way back to the kitchen where Keith had scrapped the burnt pancake and was in the process of cooking another one. 

"You're still hungry?" Keith eyed him with some sort of hurt. 

"Yeah."

"Don't look so offended, it's just that you're uhhh... well defined so to speak."

"It's called exercise."

"With your job you can exercise? I thought it was all shot, find ... and point, anyway the point is that you're always doing something."

"Yeah it's easy. You don't always have work to do and when you do it's just the amount of work you put on yourself that can stop you." 

"So are you keen to use the bathroom? I mean I can cook your pancakes while you're in, because don't you have work today?" Lance asked as he lightly waved Keith away from the pan. Keith made a face. 

"Don't remind me, and yeah sounds like a good plan," Keith confirmed as he dipped his finger into the golden syrup and went off towards the bedroom. Moments later Keith's head poked out of the doorway. "Where's the towels?"

"Cupboard in the hallway, by the spare-room. Take anyone." Nodding his thanks Keith was gone again and the sound of the shower turning on was heard only moments later. Lance turned his attention to his phone. Pidge, Nyma and Allura had text. Just as Lance was about to check them Hunk sent a message. 

**Meet up?**

_You're worried? Hunk I'm just fine, should have asked Pidge._  Lance replied, and as he went through his phone he ignored Nyma's text but replied to both Allura's and Pidge's. As soon as Lance replied to Pidge's her phone number appeared on the screen as she attempted to call him. 

"So just hearing it in your words 'how was it?'" Pidge asked immediately as Lance accepted the call. 

"Good. Is that all you called for to ask me that?" 

"Come on. Give me credit I've been setting this up since I found his picture in your little picture book." Lance felt himself flush at the mention of it. 

"Pidge I thought we agreed to never let that come up in conversation again! You promised." Pidge snickered on the other end of the phone. 

"Tsk tsk, my little bi friend. No one's here to hear me. Anyway I actually called for something else."

"Agh. And what is that gremlin?" Lance could hear the intake of breath while Pidge tried to soothe away the little remark. 

"A possible assistant on Monday? Dad's got this guy coming through and he wants me to show him around and tell him the works."

"Be your assistant for what? Filing papers again? Going through some technology crap that I don't understand? Patting Gunther?"

"For the last time Lance his name is Bae Bae. And no I was thinking that you could run him through the company for me." Lance made a sound causing for Pidge to laugh. 

"That's me taking your job! Mr. Holt won't be happy about that." In the background of Pidge's phone Lance could hear Matt enter the room. 

"Please I know this guy and I really don't want to do this!"

"Okay if he's so bad tell me his name," Pidge went quiet, figuring out a lie or some form of twisted truth. " _Katie._ " 

"Iverson." Lance stopped watching over the pancake.

"No, no, no, no, no. Not gonna happen. He was our fifth grade teacher and he hated me more than he hated you, so suck up and do the job, anyway I think Allura has something planned."

"Another party? I mean, seriously, I don't understand the amount of times she has to throw one before we get the point that her father's rich." Lance could hear Matt grumbling on in the background, a phone was screeching itself silly from a far distance. They were probably both at Holt Co.

"Yeah and right when her father and herself are suspects." 

"What? Why do I hear this after you hear it? Who? Did Keith tell you?"

"Yeah, Rolo Rhoads. Apparently he was murdered and now both Allura and Alfor are suspects."

" _Yesh_. Keith will find the killer eventually, he's not famous for being just gay you know," Matt was saying something in the background. "And Matt just pointed out that Keith is also a known Black Belt, useful information you know." Lance groaned as Pidge's voice turned suggestive and Lance was back to flipping the pancake. 

"Please let's just drop it for now-" The shower turned off and the door was opened only moment after, "- Keith is out and I've got to drop Isabella off to school today. So meet me at the Corner Cafe, Hunk is probably going to be there." 

"Hunk probably organized it. Yup I'll be there. How about 9? I've got a meeting at 10 past 8, so I'll be there as soon as I can." 

"Have fun at the meeting."

"Have fun seeing off your own night stand." Pidge giggled as she hung up without a further word. Pidge was _definitely_ a character. Keith was then beside Lance, his hair wet from the shower and now he was fully clothed, his shirt was buttoned unevenly.

"You're buttons don't match," Lance remarked "It won't look good if you turn up to the office like that,"  Keith cursed and let Lance, who out of habit from past girls, began to button the shirt up correctly. "Working on the same case again today?"

"Yeah, won't stop until the case is closed or has been solved." Keith yawned before looking over Lance's shoulder to his pancake. 

"You're very impatient," Lance remarked, "Although I already know that." Keith smiled sheepishly before sitting himself at the table again.

"Does your niece...."

"Isabella."

"Eat before she goes?'

"No she gets feed at home, although sometimes she gets a snack," Lance collected Keith plate and dumped the cooked pancake onto Keith's plate. "So we're about to leave in like 20 minutes after I've showered, do you want me to drive you to your car?" Keith nodded. 

"That would be nice thank you." Without further ado, Lance raced to the bathroom, showered and changed. By the time he came down stairs his niece was in the kitchen talking to Keith. 

"Why do you grow your hair so long? Are you a princess?" Lance stopped in his tracks as he listened in the hallway. 

"Uh-umm I grow it because I like it long-"

"So basically a princess." Lance moved his hand to his mouth to stop himself from snickering. He could feel the embarrassment radiating from Keith as he thought of a reply. 

"Ah yeah."  Isabella who seemed content with Keith's reply began to hum to herself to the tune of 'Batman'. Lance thinking that it was a good opportunity to intervene on their cute conversation, walked in with a grn on his face and keys in his hand. 

"Right let's go! Isabella to school and Keith to his car." Lance exclaimed as he playfully tugged on both Keith's and Isabella's hair. Keith glared at him as he swatted Lance's and away. Isabella giggled as she raced to the door and to the car that was parked in the driveway. Keith snorted. 

"If only I felt the same way about school." He grumbled as he to made his way to the car where Isabella was smiling. Lance turned around and locked the house, his grin on his face, turning back around he smothered the look into a poker face as both Isabella and Keith waited by the car. Isabella hopeful and excited and Keith dreading and dead inside. Lance decided to take a picture. Not because he wanted to remember that Keith Kogan could make love like no other, no Lance knew that would stay under lock and key in his mind, it was for the difference in attitudes. 

It was true. Adulthood would be so much better if they were children. And childhood would be so much better if they were adults. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Keith had never, _ever_ looked this messy, he hadn't since primary school. Even in his highschool years where he had gone through puberty and had stunk just by the meer fact of sweating, Keith had looked presentable. Now he looked like he had a taken a trip skydiving and had come back but had decided not to tuck his shirt in and unruffle his wild hair. The only thing good about this morning. He smelled like Lance's soap. Vanilla, if anything couldn't be gayer or flamboyant. But Keith had to admit it was a nice change from the constant boys smell that Shiro had him into.

"I never thought you'd show up." A voice commented at Keith's right shoulder as he tried to smooth his hair finally and set himself at the desk on a wheelie-chair. Keith let out a whistle of a breath.

"Hmm and why wouldn't that be, dear brother?", Keith asked as he turned around to mee Shiro face on "Don't your trust your baby brother."

"Honestly no. I saw that wild snapchat of yours. Partying? On a work night? This is a new side of Keith I am seeing."

"Shiro, you know me and I pretty sure that you told me to chill and relax for the night. I did just that." Keith considered as he whirled his way back towards his desk. A photo of him and Shiro was stuck to the corner of his screen, Shiro's face was pinched into a grimace while Keith sat awkwardly at his elbow. It had been Keith's 17th birthday, a zoo, to see a hippo as Shiro had insisted that Keith had to see his spirit animal before he hit 18 years old. Admittingly it had been on of Keith's highlights of his childhood, not because his childhood was _bad_ , no it was pretty on perfect, but because Keith had done nothing that resembled family time during his childhood. On his 17th birthday his parents had taken the day off, his foster father being a lawyer and his foster mother being a dentist. Shiro had missed a day of his classes at university.

"Ah ha. So you didn't go with anyone last night? I'm pretty sure that you need to take a trip to a different method of relaxation." Previously on Keith's Life 'Shiro doesn't approve of Keith's relaxation habits'. Keith made a mental note of this day. 

"No thanks this one works for me." Keith could hear Shiro give a sigh of defeat.

"How's the case going?"

"You mean the case that has been in the corner of shame in your office? Not well as you can guess." Shiro leaned up against the desk.

"Well I got a call earlier. I think someone wants to talk to you, some information they wanted to pass on."

"Any names?"" Keith asked as he flicked through his emails.

"Nyma. Nyma Charbet?" Keith made a sound. Shiro's eyes lightened.

“You know her?"

"No just heard her name already today."

“By who?” Shiro asked. Keith made a face. He knew that Shiro would ask the million dollar question. 'Who did Keith sleep with this time?', it was currently on 'previously in Keith's life' question.

“A person.” Keith answered quietly while giving his brother a look.

“Come one Keith. This could be a suspect right there. He knows Nyma so who knows, he might know Rolo.” Shiro commented as he went to another desk to snag a chair. Keith gave Shiro a pointed look of agitation.

“I've already asked him some questions and I think it's safe to say that he isn't a suspect. More of a citizen who gave me some valuable information.”

“Hmm and what would that be?”

“That Rolo was an art enthusiast and that he was often at these art venues that Allura and Alfor held at the Altean Manor-”

“Oh talking about that. Did you hear that Allura is planning another party?” Keith shot Shiro a look of venom.

“I was getting to that. Yes. My helpful citizen also mentioned Nyma as being Rolo ex- girlfriend and partner.”

“I didn't know Bounty Hunters had partners in crime.” Shiro began to fiddle with a pen. 

“Neither but according to received information, Nyma was cheated on by Rolo as he often gets around.” Shiro gave Keith a look of emphasised surprise. 

“She's got motive.” Keith's gave Shiro a dark look. If only it could be that easy. 

“Yes but apparently there is about half the city that would also have motive. Rolo cheated on basically everyone and slept around a lot.”

“Sounds like someone I know.” Shiro commented dryily.

“Please not this again.”

“Mum and dad are worried about you. They want you to settle down, have a husband and help some kids grow up. Sleeping around is not going to help the chances of you receiving sexually transmitted diseases.” Shiro added in helpfully as he placed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, the pen loose in his hand. Keith glared.

“Yes I know that, Shiro. But getting back onto the case please.” 

“Okay back to Rolo sleeping around.” Shiro shuffled in his seat to get a closer look at the files on Keith's desk.

“Okay, now. So let's just take every piece of information and store it and let's find some pieces to help put it together?”

“Can't. Another murder popped up. This time it wasn't as nice to look at as Rolo, poor guy he looked like he had been tortured before he was brutally murdered. His arm was mangled into shreds and-” Keith really wanted to skip the details of the latest crime. He had seen enough for one week. And it was only just beginning. 

“Ah guys!” Shiro gave an irritated sigh, “I found some information about this latest murder. His name is Sendak, last name unknown.” The small, scrawny man made his way over to Keith's desk. Slave. Shiro most unwanted work companion.

“You think it could be a fake name?” Keith asked, saving Shiro the question.

“Absolutly.”

“Anymore information?”

“Yes. He was strangled before he actually died from his wounds... it's a very simialar way to how Rolo was killed.” Slave's english was very poor.

“A serial killer?”

“Most likely,” Keith dismissed him with the wave of the hand.

“Okay go, send me the information and I'll look into it,” Shiro's eybrows were raised to show Keith is clear irratation for the guy. 'You think it's the same man, or woman? Lots of people get strangled everyday.”

“Honestly who knows. We could see some connections and see. Serial killers work in a pattern right? What's so different about this one?” Shiro commented, behind him their co-worker had returned to their desk to see their chair gone. His eyes went instantly to where Shiro sat with his back towards their co-worker.

“Oop. Zarkon on your left.” Keith stood up to leave, nobody messed with Zarkon. Not only because he stood at an intimadating height but because he looked like the type of person that would kill you over a biscuit. Shiro went pale as he turned to face Zarkon.

“Zarkon my man!” Shiro stood up to greet him, a smile on his face. Zarkon shurgged off Shiro's arm from his shoulder.

“Got anything better to do that just chase after your younger brother? Please it's a pitiful sight and you won't get paid watching him through your office.” Shiro's nose went high up into the air, trying to resume his authority in the situation. But turth is, both Keith and Shiro knew that Zarkon could probably gather more backup from the rest of the department. Even if Shiro was head of the department.

“Yeah yeah, big guy. I'll try. You see here Keith needs constant guidance.” Zarkon made a sound that suggested that he really didn't believe him as he snatched the chair from Shiro's hand.

“You both need guidance.” And without a further word Zarkon sat his butt down and went to work.

“I admire your work efficiency!” Shiro commented while swinging his arms around in a childlike manner and out of habit he reached for the nearest cell-phone, which happened to be Keith's one at his desk. Unlike most people Shiro left his phone lying around everywhere and often forgot were he had put it. Keith didn't stop him. He knew it was a way for Shiro to stop himself from thinking bad thoughts that would linger. “Was your helpful citizen named 'Lance McClain' by any chance?” Shiro asked, a smile now dancing across his features. He flashed Keith the screen where he was looking, Keith went to swipe at Shiro to get it back but Shiro raised his hands out of reach “He messaged you saying: 'You left your jacket in my car. Do you want me to drop it off?' Wow that's new, you gave him your number.” Keith gave a cold glare, this time he didn't mind if it cut through Shiro's happiness.

“Yes. Okay.”

“Ah ha. What does he look like?”

“Does this go with the case? I don't think so. Now there is work to be done.”

“Not before you tell me what Lance looks like.”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. Matt was asking earlier today if you were going through a certain boy stage again. Last time it was rock band members with big tattos. He's generally curious. In fact he seemed to have an idea who you went with. An artist, not much details though.”

“Okay. If it makes you happy-”

“It most certainly will.”

“Yes, he's an artisit although I don't seem to know how he got those facts, and he's Spanish with dark skin and blue eyes, now is that good enough for you?”

“Yep now, case. Right. I'll go and do some paper work and you'll just ask around? Find out some more information. It can't hurt can it?”

“No I'm not doing that right now because I'm going to get a coffee and a sandwhich-” Shiro gasped.

“The boy didn't feed you?”

“He did. But I'm still hungry. Anyway I'm going to get that, do you want anything.”

“If it's the usual place I want a muffin, blueberries.”

“You could have just said 'usual' I would have known.” Shiro shurgged as he made his way back to his office, his blinds doing nothing to give privacy to the light room where pictures and badges lined up against the wall. Keith stuffed his hands into his pockets and made his way downstairs using the elevator. Next door to the department was a small cafe, not very popular but just enough to keep the shop open. A woman named Shay stood at the counter, her hair in a loose bun and a black apron covered her flowery dress. Keith smiled at her as he neared the counter.

“Do you want the usual? I'm assuming that Shiro wants it heated?” Keith nodded and rested his elbow up against it.

“Busy?”

“No, but that's not a news flash,” Shay turned around to start Keith's coffee. “But how about you? I've barely seen you this week and I was wondering what case had got you all caught up.”

“Yeah, a few murders nothing that I haven't done before. Hey are you still short staffed?” Shay gave a face as she turned around back to Keith as she went to collect the blueberry muffin.

“Yes but we've got a few applications. One sounds promising, the others not so much.” The sound of the microwave sounded throughout the empty cafe as Shay tapped in the seconds.

“Well I hope that you find the right applicant. Choosing the right person can be a mission at times.”

“You use to be a boss?”  
“Yeah but not for this department. Karate, Black belt. It was hard to find suitable sensei's.” Shay hummed to that in agreement, the microwave dinged and it was followed by the sound of the coffee machiene as Shay continued to make the coffee.

“Do you think Shiro would like a marshmellow?” Shay asked as she balanced the coffee and muffin onto the counter, and then once they were placed back down, went to get Keith's sandwhich.

“Yeah. Last time you had someone into fill in for you, he didn't get the marshmellow. He said that it had ruined his day.” Shay laughed before typing in the amount owed.

“That would be 8 dollars and 60 cents, thank you kind sir.” Keith made a face at the words sir as he placed his card on the machiene and waited for it to be accepted. Seeing that it hadn't declined Keith looked up to collect the items.

“Okay well Shay have a nice day and I hope that you find the right applicant.” Shay smiled back at him. Keith felt his heart lighten from his broody mode. In truth if Keith had been bi and had been interested in girls he would have dated her. It was pity that she was still single. Some people didn't look behind what they saw.

“Thanks Keith and don't forget to say hi to Shiro fo me.” Keith attempted a wave using his sandwhich hand and exited the cafe. Entering was easier than exiting the Police Department but Keith was still jammed into the elevator as he travelled up.

“Keith, Shiro's questioning someone. Might want to go and take a look.” A voice called from some unknown depts of the department as Keith re-entered the room. Keith groaned as he had to abandon his sandwhich and make his way over to the room where Shiro would be. The door handle was cold in Keith's hand as he pulled down and entered the room.

“- so Lance McClain tell me where you were 9 am last Tuesday.” Keith's mouth flew open as he looked down on the scene where his brother and one night stand stared at each other.

“In my art gallery,” Lance commented, his eyes went to Keith's. “Do you have anything to do with this?”

“No I went to get a sandwhich and a coffee.” Keith felt his voice was shirll and uneasy. Shiro smiled at Keith.

“Yes. Lance here was returning your jacket, which is so thoughtful of him. And I just wanted to question him myself.”

“Shiro I thought we discussed that Lance wasn't a suspect,” Keith grunted “Sorry Lance I had no idea that Shiro would put you in here while I took 5 minutes out.”

“No it's alright because I know I'm not guilty. Okay I didn't really know Rolo as well as some do. I've already told Keith that he could go to Nyma, she knows him very well. And I can have my art class voice for me.”

“You teach art lessons? ”

“Yeah every Tuesday's and Thursdays at 9am, for the rest of both those days I am an assistant at Holt Co.”

“Can Matt voice for you?”

“He wasn't there last Tuesday, but his sister my fiend Pidge was. She works on files and coding at her father's office, I'm her assistant.”

“So that's how Matt knew that you took an artist to bed,” Shiro commented as he gave Lance a one over with his eyes. “Hmm, I've never known for Keith to have sex with someone like you before.”

“Maybe because I'm the only person like me,” Lance replied, his irritation clear. “Now can I go? My friends are waiting for me at a cafe.”

“Murder club?” Shiro asked innocently.

“No. Hunk wanted to see me and Pidge wanted to get a free coffee. There is nothing murderous about that.” Shiro nodded, like he understood.

“Okay, you can go. If we need you Keith will text as you both seem to be aquainted already.” Keith thumped him lightly on the arm as he made his way past Shiro, he gave Lance an apologetic look.

“Sorry. I'll excort you out.” Placing his hand lightly on Lance's shoulder Keith guided Lance out of the room and to the elevator. For those brief few moments with his hand on his shoulder, Keith was able to appreciate Lance's smooth lightly muscled arms. His one night stand might be over but he could still appreciate that this fine human was placed on Earth. Lance gave him a awkward smile before the door closed. Keith turned to look at Shiro who looked guilty.

“What?”

“I thought we agreed. And now you've made me look like a tattle tale. People don't like tattle tales.” Keith grumbled loudly as he went back to where his food and coffee lay waiting. “If my coffee is lupe-warm I am going to hang you from the top of this building, you've got that Shiro?” Keith muttered, still angry over the fact that he had looked like a fool to Lance. Shiro gave a look of mock horror.

“Sorry, kiddo. No can do. My wages are going into our parents aniversary gift. Actually while we're on the subject, what are you getting them?”  
“A hug. My parents need to know that I love and support them.” Shiro's eyes rolled.

“Okay. Want to chip into the one I'm getting them?”

“No, because then you'll sprout that small little lie that I only wanted to chip in because I couldn't be bothered.” Shiro's eyebrow rose in an unasked question.

“Keith isn't the whole point that I just asked you because you couldn't be bothered?” Keith thought for a moment.

“Yeah true. Now get to your desk, I've got some people to interview.”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

  
""What took you so long?" Pidge asked as Lance sat down opposite both Hunk and Pidge. Hunk had already finished whatever he had gotten, but Pidge was still nursing a coffee in her hands.

"Cops wanted to ask a few questions." Lance muttered as he shock of his coat and dumped it to his side. Hunk went pale.

"Cops. Tell me you didn't do something. You won't look go on your CV if you've been arrested and accused of... whatever. What was it for?" Hunk asked, he was picking at some crumbs on his plate, a smoothie, quiet healthy for the older boy if Lance had to say so, was untouched by his plate.

"No. A murder. Hasn't Pidge filled you in?" Lance gave a side look to Pidge who seemed to be sitting on the edge of her seat in anticipation. Pidge smiled guilty.

"Sorry Hunk. But yeah, Rolo was killed."

"You mean Rolo Bounty Hunter guy?"

"You know him?" Lance asked, suddenly curious. It had been a weird day, old names were popping up everywhere and random people seemed to know them.

"Yeah. Comes into the restaurant often, Well not to often now." Hunk looked down at his plate. "Oh man I should have been like nice and asked him how his day was, I feel bad now. What if the last thing I said to him was the amount if money he owed?" Hunk went paler at just the thought of it. Pidge snickered.

"Hunk if you were any nicer you would cause everyone to have cavities within a 50 miles radius, and anyway he was a lying piece of turd that didn't really deserve your kindness, and rich. Very rich." Pidge took a sip of her coffee before brightening up. "Well let's stop talking about that, we'll back Hunk cry. Now how was your night?" Lance smiled, almost shyly if anyone didn't know him. To others it was the smile that suggested something inappropriate was coming their way. Lance needed to get Hunk's mind off Rolo's death, his big friend took things way to seriously.

"Oh he could kiss really well, for a guy."

"Lance it's not like your experienced in the guy department." Lance clicked his tongue as he spotted a waitress with a bowl of food in hand.

"I would go into detail but it looks like my breakfast is coming and I don't want to be engrossed in everything before I start eating." Pidge sighed irritably as she leaned back into her chair. "Fine but you've got to tell us if the rumors of Keith Kogan are real." Lance thanked the waitress before replying.

"As far as I am concerned they're true. Although he seemed nicer than some rumors I've heard," Lance, taking the knife and fork in hand, began to slice his french toast apart "I mean he teased me because it was my first time for a guy, but overall he was nice about it," Pidge's eyebrows went up into her hairline causing for Lance to snort. "He does that a lot."

"Does what?"

Lance took both knife and fork into one hand as he rubbed at his forehead with the other, "His eyebrows go into his hair." Pidge nodded, her lip jutting out.

"Well you're still all daydreamy about him, I've got to ask you a question."

"And what's that?" Lance asked through a mouthful of food. Pidge's face turned evil as she leaned forward, her hand reaching out to grab Hunk into the small enclosed circle.

"Are you Bi?" Lance seemed to think for a second before reply.

"Yeah definitely. I mean I was Bi before but it's confirmed now." Lance swallowed his mouthful. Pidge leaned back again and Hunk made a sound between a whezze and a laugh.

"I can't believe it!" He had tears in his eyes as he fought of a laugh. "My best friend is growing up." Lance gave Pidge a serious look.

"I think Hunk's overdosed on feelings today." Pidge grinned.

"Nope. Actually Hunk has an announcement to make." Lance stuffed another part of french toast into his mouth. Lance gave a wide, food stuffed grin at his friend.

"Okay buddie. What do you have to say?" Hunk wiped at his face.

"I've got an interview. The lady there is nice and she said that there's a 90 percent chance I'll get the job, I'm leaving that bad restaurant," Hunk was smiling now as he wiped at his face again. "The pays alright, minimum wage but how can I complain? I get to bake something. I'm not the cashier I'm the actual chef! Sometimes I'm going to be on cashier but not all the time like before." Lance beamed as he lept halfway across the table to embrace Hunk.

"Well done. How long has it been since you went looking for another job? Two years?" Lance asked.

"Three years and I finally get some chance at being something else," Hunk's phone vibrated, quickly he checked and he let out a shaky breath. "She wants to put me on trial next week on Monday."

"Where is it?"

"Just by the Police Department. Quiet but nice, cheap to." Lance frowned.

"I think Keith goes there." Pidge grimaced.

"What makes you say that?"

"He popped out for five minutes apparently. In that time I went into the Police Department to drop off his jacket and someone named Shiro-"

"Wait, Shiro, Shiro? Like Takashi Shirogane." Lance blinked at Pidge's sudden outburst.

"Yeah."

"Wow. He works at the Police Department. Him and Matt are like brothers, went to the same university."

"Yeah well he took me into questioning and then Keith entered and then complained that Shiro hadn't kept his word and it had been like five more minutes. I check on the street, there isn't another cafe there." Hunk was deep in thought. Finally, he said something as both Pidge and Lance continued to watch him in silence.

"I can't believe that you done the do with Keith and now I'm maybe going to work right next to where he works. It's weird." Lance made a face.

"You're telling me. Everyone seems to know everyone that I've never ever mentioned in my life, in one day for a fact." Lance phone vibrated on the table in front of them. Pidge was the first to pick up the phone as Lance took another bite from his cooling French toast.

"Ohh it's from Keith," Pidge cooed. Lance interest piped up. What did the detective want now? "Don't look so hopeful he wants you to come back to the station. Nyma apparently wants you to testify for her." Lance made a face of confusion.

"Now?"

"No he states that and I quote 'You can finish your breakfast with your friends but come to the station as quickly as you can, please'. Huh, who knew he was a suck hole."

"He is not a suck hole." Lance retorted. Pidge gave Lance a bland look of humor mixed with disgust.

"Of course you would know that." Hunk choked on his smoothie that he had begun to drink.

"Guys not while I'm drinking." He was smiling as Pidge and Lance began to argue and bicker. Pidge began to laugh mid way through her little rundown.

"In a matter of fact you're probably the suck hole," Hunk lost it too as Lance gave them looks of horror, Pidge wiped a tear but she continued to laugh "You know that meme and it like 'bottom to the top'? It's like you and Keith and you're the bottom!" She began to chuckle evilly in her seat, managing to get a smile from Lance.

"Okay before this gets out of hand I'll make my way to the station," Lance stood up, leaving his meal half eaten. "I'll call you guys once I find out anything." Pidge nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep we'll everywhere waiting. Actually I'll probably be at Holt Co, and Hunk will be I'm assuming, at home looking after his billion cats."

"You're wrong there is 3 cats, you just don't like them." Hunk sniffed the air dismissively as Lance rolled his eyes, collected his phone and exited the building without further conversation. The wind had picked up since Lance had entered the little cafe, and the streets were flooded with people as their small 15 minute break was upon them. Lance spotted the small cafe again, this time with a different light. The station didn't feel any different though, the anxiety was still there, this time it wasn't from entering an unknown building but because Nyma was there. He still hadn't talked to her this morning, making it even more awkward than it had been before. This was going to be fun. He entered the building and was about to enter the elevator when he heard a voice.

"Ahh Lance, you came quick." Lance jumped slightly at Keith's voice, his hair was still wild, even if he was sheltered from the wind.

"Yeah it was either that or hear my friends tease me."

"You seem to get that a lot." Keith commented as he pressed the button the elevator.

"What?"

"Teasing." Lance felt blood rush to his cheeks as the elevator doors closed and the machine went up. He didn't reply as he kept to himself. His phone vibrated again. Looking down Lance looked down at the text.

 ** _In your rush to see Keithy boy you left your jacket ;_** ) Lance felt his cheeks heat up even more as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. How embarrassing.

"You know where the room is," Keith instructed as he made his way to a desk "I'll be there in a sec, just I've got to get some files."

"Okay." Lance replied uncertainty as he made his way back to the room he had only been in about an hour before. He prepared himself to confront Nyma. He opened the door, the metal warm from someone's hand. He text someone before entering the room.

_If I don't make it out alive, I'm to tell you I am with Nyma and I'm begging you to bury me with the halloween costume of catwoman._

Pidge would understand what he meant.

"Lance McClain," Lance shivered at the voice, he had barely turned the knob and had barely put in a shoe! "I am deeply disappointed in you. You stood me up! On our date! I thought we had something." She whined the last part, which was not her. She didn't whine. She either wanted Lance to feel bad and do something for her, or she was faking the hurt.

Lance gave a smile before replying. “Honestly Nyma, I had better things to do. And honestly, we both know that we are nothing but by-passer, touching for a few brief moments before we’re gone again.”

“Don’t use that crap on me, Lance. I know you slept with someone.”

“That’s not creepy at all.” Lance commented, “I have a question for you. Do you keep tabs on everyone, like creepy stalker tabs?”

“So, I’m not wrong?” She almost sounded hopeful, “Honestly I agree with you, it wasn’t meant to last, but hey we had fun, right?”

“Yeah we had fun.” Lance answered, “So what do you want me here for?”

“Well they don’t believe that I was in your art class on Tuesday.” Bingo there was the lie she wanted Lance to go along with.

“You were in my art class on Tuesday?” Of course this was a lie as well. Well hopefully Keith never found out the truth.

“Yeah, I sat next to Jack and that new kid from Australia.”

“Oh, well I must have been busy. You can ask Jack or that new kid to voice for you,” Lance suggested. “I’d rather be painting right now is all.” Nyma made a face.

“You’d rather paint than help me?”

“Honestly, yes. I have a deadline to meet. Unlike some artists I have buyers.” Nyma pouted and behind Lance the door opened.

“So we just called in Jack Sullivan and Varkon. They did say that there was a blonde female beside them that introduced herself as Nyma.” Keith commented, his hands flicking over the files. Lance gave a smile. “But what doesn’t match up is that they gave us two different dates.” Keith mumbled as an after thought.

“So, do I need to be here? I have a deadline that needs to be meet.”

“Painting? Aren’t you meant to have a class today?” Lance frowned, opps.

“Ah yeah.”

“It’s 9 now so why aren’t you at your classes?” Keith’s eyebrows rose expectantly. Lance mouth opened and then closed. “So, are you both lying to me or is something going on that you need to tell me?” Lance gave Keith a guilty look before replying. Nyma and Keith will hate him after this.

“Ah. I lied. I don’t have classes on a Tuesday.”

“Lying to a federal detective. A crime in its self. So, tell me, where were you?”

“At Allura’s house.” Keith gave Lance a look of disappointment.

“And Rolo was there, correct?”

“No. He wasn’t.” Lance commented, his eyes now lingering on the floor. Keith frowned.

“His body was found there. How could it be otherwise?”

“Allura wanted to go over some ideas for her latest party. I agreed to send out word far and wide to get more people interested and then I left. Rolo wasn’t there.” Keith looked skyward. At that moment Shiro entered the room, a smile on his face.

“Well Lance I’ve got to say that you’ve been saved, for now. Slave was able to find rope burn on the corpse suggesting that he had been dragged to the crime scene. He was killed elsewhere,” Lance let out a breath of relief. “But it still doesn’t give us the murderer. So, don’t leave town until the case is solved or your innocence proved otherwise, you’re a suspect.” Lance felt his eyebrows pinch together. Seriously?

“And Nyma where were you on Tuesday at 9am?” Nyma went pale. Like she had committed a crime. She turned to look at Lance.

“Uhhh…”

“Please Nyma, if you don’t give us what we want you’ll be number one suspect, so please enlighten us.”

“I was cheating on Lance.” The room went quiet. Lance almost fainted from the drop of temperature. It was not only Nyma that was looking at him with dirty looks, but Keith and Shiro as well. Lance laughed nervously. Yeah he had screwed up big time.

“Ah, ha… umm speaking of awkward. Can I go now?”

“No!”

“Yes.” Keith looked at Shiro angrily.

“I haven’t finished questioning the _suspect_.” Keith’s eyes were cold. Ouch this hurt. Now this was a person being upset. Nyma’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shape.

“You were the one that Lance slept with last night.” She stated. Everyone went quiet once more. “Okay I now know what you mean by awkward Lance. How does it feel to be in the same room as girlfriend- no – ex- and that one-night stand that you went to when I was waiting for you at the movies.” Keith gave Lance an accusing look.

“You what?” Shiro looked around the room widely.

“Okay back to the task at hand here.” Shiro commented urgently.

“No. I want to ask, _suspect_ why he done it.” Keith growled, his eyes narrowed.

“I uhh… saw you and I guess I forgot about her.”

“How can you forget about a girlfriend!?”

“Good question, I actually don’t know.” Lance commented angrily. He wasn’t just angry at Keith and Nyma but at himself.

“Ah hmm. Okay everyone focus. This is a case not some love triangle gone wrong. So details Nyma.” Nyma didn’t look so guilty as she had before as she replied.

“I don’t even know his name, he said that he as just passing by.”

“Where did you meet?”

“The Green Apple, the waitress their can voice for me.”

“But then why is Jack and that new guy lying?” Lance asked. No one should have told them to lie. Did they? Unless the game was much bigger than Lance had realised. Someone was trying to set them up.

“Bribery. By one of you maybe, since both of you had the same story about going to art classes.” Shiro answered, a grim smile on his face. “Or you both could have planned it together.”

“Can Allura and Alfor voice for where you were at the time?” Keith asked, he wasn’t looking at Lance now. It was a pity Lance would have liked to see his eyes again, and it only hit him now because he no longer was allowed to look at them because all he would see reflected in them was sadness and guilt.

“Absolutely. Even their crazy butler Coran.” Lance confirmed as he swayed on his feet. Both Shiro and Keith sighed.

“Well I guess I’ve got to say this to, Nyma stay in town you’ll be a suspect for a while until proven further or otherwise.” Shiro commented. Lance nodded as he turned towards the door, glad that she was suffering the same consequences of zero action that he was. Lance could hear Keith walk in behind him. Probably to chew him out about what happened in that room.

Lance made it to the street before Keith called after him. “Lance,” Lance grimaced and turned to face the angry detective, who didn’t look angry. He was one of those pissed calms perhaps? Then Keith began to speak, and he certainly was not one of those. “How could you do that to her?”

“I guess we never had anything for each other anymore. I didn’t even think we were boyfriend and girlfriend, more of a fling. She even said so herself.”

“Is every girl you come across a fling?”

“I can say the exact same about you Keith. You know you’re not entirely known for being a great detective, you're also known to get around with men. And, in my small years of life I’ve only had about 5 girlfriends.”

“And that’s not heaps.” Keith eye's flashed, his words dripping with sarcasm, and to Lance they were frankly bitter. Like a tea bag left to long in the cup of water. 

“Actually, no it isn’t. How many one-night stands have you had in the year alone? Come on it’s only March, how many have you had?” Keith frowned at this, his eyebrows knotted together and his eyes lightened from his dark mood. “Exactly you can’t remember. I’ve had about two in the last 2 years. You and a girl… who’s name I can’t remember. So how many have you slept with that thought that you would be something more to them and then later broke their hearts by sleeping around some more?” Keith’s frown completely disappeared.

“I know what I do would be classified as wrong to some people. But at least I didn’t have someone who maybe was working up to be your girlfriend and then sleep with someone else. She was close to you, and I wasn’t,” Keith grumbled, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. A gust of wind went spiralling down the street, making Keith’s already wild hair messier. “I just hate that it had to be me that was the flaw in this relationship with you and Nyma.”

“As you probably already heard she had cheated on me earlier, you’re not the only flaw.”

“For all we know she could be lying.”

“Hmmm and you think that? You don’t think I’m lying? Come on Keith, I know Nyma was there.”

“Huh, and you didn’t think to mention this when she lied straight to our faces?”

“No. Nyma always goes around, I ignore it. And anyway, we said that we’d always have each other’s backs. She is a nice person, Keith. “

“Then why such an organized lie?”

“Well we had to come up with something so her parents didn’t worry. Nyma’s parents are very, _involved_ in her life and they don’t like me. It must have just kicked on for the perfect lie,” Lance now looked at Keith directly in the eye “And Keith, Allura and Alfor are suspects. Why would I say that I was at their manor the day of the murder?” Keith nodded.

“True, but also can mean you’re hiding something.”

“Well I’m not. It’s true we organized a party, I went to get a few guests.”

“Who were the guests?”

“Zarkon-“Keith almost choked. “I’m guessing you know him? A lady that goes by Haggar, I don’t actually know her real name. She insists to be called that though like some weird witch like cartoon character.”

“Anyone else?” Keith asked, it was then that Lance noticed the little notepad that Keith was writing down on.

“Lotor, but I am begging you not to go to him.”

“Who’s Lotor?”

“Zarkon’s eldest and only son. A piece of work, clever and very determined. He has a few party tricks up his sleeve.”

“Do you think that he could be behind these murders?”

“No. Lotor may be cunning but he doesn’t like murder for kicks, I can show you a video of what he does for kicks though. It’s gross.” Lance tabbed on his phone screen and began to scroll through his phone, searching for the video. Keith gave a look of displeasure.

“No thanks, I’d rather not find out what he does for kicks.” Lance smiled anyway as he handed the phone.

“Watch.” Keith made a face at Lance, but he watched anyway. Suddenly Keith went quiet and pale, he shrieked and almost dropped the phone.

“He dislocates his arms for kicks?” Lance nodded gloomily.

“Yeah, gross I told you. It’s one of his favourite party tricks.” Keith looked at Lance, a different look from his previous one.

“Is this the type of people you hang out with?” Lance gave him a pointed look of disappointment, finally glad to make Keith forget that he was upset.

“No, but would you like to meet them? The people I mean, just so you don’t assume my coven to be murders.” Keith grimaced.

“No. I’m meant to be angry and I have work to do. Go and finish your schedule.” Lance gave a defeated smile in return to Keith’s poker face.

“Okay, have fun.” Lance went to turn away, he ignored Nyma who was staring at them from across the road.

“And Lance.” Lance stopped to look over his shoulder.

“Emmm?”

“I know you lied about seeing Allura today. But lets not mention that.”

“When did I say that?”

“This morning,” Keith clicked his tongue. “Now behave I don’t want to have to see you anymore than I have to.”


	4. Chapter 4

 

“Sendak Eberle”

“What?” Shiro asked, his glasses just a tad down on his nose as he looked down upon the files and papers in front of him.

“Sendak Eberle. That was the other murder victims name.” Shiro looked down the end of his glasses and layed down the papers gently.

“And you found out how?”

“Lance.”

“You mean the cheating lying scum bag that you slept with last night?” Shiro’s eyes darkened, to borderline broody. Keith made a gesture that seemed to suggest that Shiro could think anyway of Lance as he could.

“I’m pretty sure that I’ve had sex with many scum bags, and yes him. Sendak buys art work from people that attend venues such as Allura’s and Alfors. But there is no other connection other than that that seems to connect them somehow.” Shiro rubbed his nose, at his scar, and then ran his finger through his hair.

“Maybe this serial killer is looking for people involved in art somehow?”

“It looks like that,” Keith remarked as he took a seat opposite Shiro “And going on the two murders we can say that this murderer likes Tuesdays.”

“Sam Whincester didn’t like Tuesdays.” Shiro replied groogily. Keith frowned at him.

“I don’t know who Sam and I don’t really care, but this guy seems to be getting a pattern and therefore a rhythm. We need to find out possible victims for his next hit before they’re buried 6ft under.”

“How does he kill them again?” Keith ignored the question.

“He or she we don’t know yet. Slave ran some tests and saw that the footwear suggested female while the pieces of hair suggested short male hair.”

“Transgender?” Keith clicked his tongue.

“No I don’t think so. I think they’ve disguised themselves pretty damn good. To make it harder.”

“Well anyone can wear high heels so lets just say that this guy is male, how does he kill them?”

“Tortures them, strangles and then like cuts them to shreds.”

“Eh, gross,” Shiro grumbled as he glimpsed down at the papers in front of him. “So did you go and check out Sendak’s house? Get some details perhaps? We need to find if there are anymore links and if they had the same connections like friends or enemies.” Keith nodded.

“Already onto it, however that might be tricky.”

“And how may that be?”

“Sendak’s personal files have been deleted from the government data base. A very tricky thing to do for just a meer serial killer. Any files that we were able to dig up were false identities.”

“So he has another name?”

“I guess so. And I don’t know what it is. I’ve put his picture through the system and nothing is coming up.”

“A criminal since birth?” Keith gave Shiro a pointed look of disappointment.

“Shiro you know this everything of his has been destroyed. Everyone I’ve talked to today has no idea who this guy is. SO we don’t know if he has family-“

“Okay, let’s just forget Sendak for a bit, if that is even is his name, let’s focus on Rolo’s murder. I mean we’ve got files we can work with.”

“Yes but no connections to help us.” Keith growled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“No, but we know that they’ve been involved in the art industry. We can figure out what the did together using people like Lance to remember.”

“Like Allura and Alfor?”

“Hell no. They won’t remember anything like that. They’re rich folk that probably only remember ancient greek. We could try work mates. Surely we know where Sendak worked.” Shiro looked at Keith expectantly, waiting for an answer.”

“Sorry Shiro we don’t only that he brought paintings.”

“Was there any paintings in his house?” Shiro asked quietly, his fingers tabbing on his chin as he went deep into thought. Keith thought back to his visit.

“No.”

“Then where did they go if he bought them? Sold them on to people who would pay more but couldn’t attend those fancy parties?”

“There were receipts. His wallet was stolen but we could go back and search through his computer or laptop files.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Shiro confirmed. “Mean while I’m going to question the occupants of the Altean Manor further, see if they stumble over a certain step.” Shiro mushed. “Actually I don’t even know why I’m doing this. I should be doing paper work and hiring and firing people,” his eyes narrowed as he studied Keith, “Why am I helping you?”

“Love?”

“Neh,” Shiro grunted as he waved his younger brother out the door. “Now go and be great.” Keith rolled his eyes before departing the building.

 

* * *

 

 

Sendak’s house was nice for someone with no files. Glass, wood and stone, a small flat patch of water went around the house like it was meant to help defend the house. A bridge, made of wood and stone was the only way across without getting wet to the knee. Keith went through the door, not bothering to shut it after himself as he made his way to the office area that screamed wealth and modern architecture. On his way he noticed the lack of paintings, and art, that Shiro had stated earlier. Sendak stored them maybe? Keith let out a deep breath of satisfaction. Things like this were meant to help Keith get to sleep.

One wall was just glass, another stone and two more were polished wood. An apple mac sat unused at a desk made of polished oak. A frame image of a landscape, unknown to Keith, gleamed from the sunlight coming from the window.

The sun must be breaking through the clouds. Keith made his way to the screen, where, with the shake of the mouse, flicked on to the lock screen. Passwords are such a pain. Except when your brother wants to look through your phone to see if anyone had sent any inappropriate picks. Trying a few times and failing, Keith finally gave up to look at the screen. What I need is someone clever, or someone who knows him.

Keith’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Still agitated from not being able to get into Sendaks’ computer, Keith got out his phone to see who had messaged him.

 ** _So, Keith Kogan, the name is Pidge and I heard from a little birdy that you had trouble with some files_**. Keith squinted at the screen. Who? And what? Pidge? What? Confusion crawled through his body until he sent a text back.

Ahh yeah, but I think that’s no of your concern.

**_Well I think you’re wrong. You see I’m a tech expert, I can help you with finding what you need. Plus work is boring._ **

Sorry who is this again? 

**_Pidge, or Katie as other people call me_ **

Am I meant to know you?

**_I’m Matt’s sister. Lance’s friend. Keith went still._ **

How did you get my number?

**_Tech nerd remember? Anyway life has called me today to help you_ **

Who told you?

**_A birdie, I told you_ **

Was it Shiro?

**_He might have mentioned it to Matt. Keith rolled his eyes._ **

Fine, as our own tech guy is busy with Rolo’s murder. The door swung open and Keith’s head went up to look at the intruder. A girl, much what Matt looked like, stood in the doorway, a green phone in hand. “Katie?” Keith asked in question as she stepped in again. “How did you find me?”

“Your location is on.” Keith chocked.

“Don’t die. It was simple really. So what do you want me to do?” Her eyes landed on the computer that was now blank again. “You want to log in?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s easy. You just need to know what to do.”

“And how is that. You either re-set it, althought I’m sure that’s not what you want to do, or you take apart the computer and take the storage… orrrrrrrrrrrrrrr you can use a device I made.” Keith blinked at the girl, not daring to say anything.

“Okay.” Pidge danced on the spot before returning back into the hallway to lug in a bag.

“It will be able to download the files and everything the Sendak own onto my computer and place it into a separate file.” She explained as he took out her own laptop, Keith was surprised to see that it was homemade.

“You’re really into the tech stuff?”

“Yeah, call it a gift I you will.” Pidge remarked. As she opened up her computer she took out a pair of glasses and placed them on her head. Keith frowned at her. “It’s to help me think. Like thinking glasses. They use to be Matt’s and when he got surgery on his eyes he gave them to me because he knew I couldn’t part with them,” Again Pidge was rewarded with a frown from Keith. “I liked his glasses because… I don’t actually know. It’s like you’ve got a favourite thing about someone and it reminds of you a memory, the glasses were like that. They provided a memory.” She tabbed at her screen and then produced a cable from her bag. Her nose wrinkled as she plugged both computers to each other and then looked out to the room. “This place is to tidy.”

“What?”

“You know. Tidy? Neat? Organized? Orderly?” Keith, still weary of the girl, leaned backwards in the chair that he had seated himself on.

“Yes but I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.” Pidge made a sound of realization.

“You’re one of those people that like things tidy.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t. The messier the better. It just feels uncomfortable, you know?”

“Nope. I feel comfortable when it’s tidy.” Pidge clicked her tongue and glimpsed at the screen as it loaded. She grinned as the image, a cartoon of herself laughing began to flash across the screen.

“Bingo. We’re in.” She commented as she leaned forward to look at the file names.

“Anything in the file names?”

“Nope, download movies, music the lot. Ahh some porn to, disgusting.” She looked at him with horror in her eyes and her nose scrunched further. Keith’s eyebrows rose as she continued to list off the file names.

“Hmm seems a fan of mystery thrillers. Oh look some documents named ‘Bank accounts’, risky don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well anyone can hack a computer, so why would he leave a document saying ‘Bank accounts?’”

“Maybe it’s a decoy?”

“Yeah. Oh look here, numbers, my best friend.” Pidge cooed.

“A code.”

“Can’t tell at the moment. But I’ll guess we’ll find out later,” There was a moment silence. “So, I’m sorry what Lance did.” Keith snorted.

“Did he ask you to come over here and beg for my forgiveness?”

“No. I just know that he’s a good guy. A flirt but he doesn’t mean any harm. When it comes to things he’s a sweetheart. He loves his family, he loves the people he works with.”

“I’m just taking a wild guess and say that he told you that he’s a suspect.”

“Yep. Lance was anxious and tells me everything.”

“Everything?”

“Don’t look so worried, and yes he did tell me about last night,” Keith went pale. “Don’t worry he didn’t go into detail. I may be his friend but I don’t want to go into detail what he does in his spare time.”

“So you know he was meant to go with Nyma.” There was silence, and then Pidge responded.

“Yes-“

“-why the hell did you not tell him not to!” Pidge turned to face him once more, her eyes stormy with emotion.

“Keith. Lance needed to get away from Nyma for a while, and officially they had broken it off about fours days ago, the only reason they were meeting at the movies was because they had already booked the tickets and so they didn’t want to back out. So whatever bullshit that Nyma said about him wasn’t that true, and Lance wouldn’t have the gull to correct her. She was always the one that wore the pants in the relationship.” Keith ran his fingers through his hair.

“You know I keep hearing different stories.”

“That’s because they both lie, okay? I don’t like lying. So would you like to hear the story while we wait for this to download his life files completely.”

“Not really.”

“Well prepare yourself for the truth.”

“Please don’t.”

“Sorry buddie. I’ve gotta straighten Lance’s mess. I have since like fourth grade. Anyway, so you’ve probably heard about how Nyma was left behind while Lance was with you. Yes? Okay. So before that, four days prior to our tragic story, they broke up. All because Lance was flirting with to many girls and because Nyma wouldn’t let Lance get in a word in edge ways in their relationship. Both didn’t really care because none really had feelings for each other, Nyma is a good actress and so was able to talk Lance into thinking that Lance wanted to see the movie that they were going to see. SO he agreed as a friend, but when he found out his grandmother had died he called it quits, but obviously Nyma didn’t get the message.”

“So basically Lance called it quits and Nyma didn’t get the message.”

“Yes.”

“But why would she through in that they just became exes when we spoke to her, she seemed to spring the idea at Lance like it wasn’t something he knew and that him having sex with me was the cause.”

“Her way of manipulating into thinking Lance is a bad person.”

“But Lance didn’t even-“

“Like I said, Nyma wears the pants. Lance is always wrong and Nyma is always right.”

“Lance said she was nice.” Pidge pouted and thought.

“Depends. She was nice to Lance because he ignored her bitchy side and because she always got what she wanted so nothing was against her interest.”

“Is she bitchy enough to be connected with a murder?”

“Nope, not that I know of. Yes she was connected with Rolo being his past girlfriend and partner, but she generally liked him and she’s not the type of person to take up a knife to kill someone, anyway how could she be connected with Sendak? He’s got nothing and Nyma doesn’t go with nothing.” Keith raised an eyebrow as he looked around the room.

“He surely has something. Look at this house for an example.”

“You’re right, but not in the way Nyma wanted. She likes fame. Rolo is a famed bounty hunter and Lance… well he’s a rising artist, soon he’ll be rich. Rich enough to pay his student loan and get away from Allura and he’ll get famous. Had you ever heard of Sendak before his murder? Also she wants to be able to control them enough to get what she wants. Like with Rolo she’d take more than half the money they earned together because he was played into thinking that’s what he wanted.”

“She sounds like she can easily manipulate people.” Keith remarked, losing interest.

“Trained. I went to her school, only briefly as I had a discipline issue there. But anyway back to the point here. Lance is a nice guy, Nyma is a nice girl. Both tell lies and both didn’t want anyone hurt, emotionally or physically.”

“Are you trying to slyly talk me out of keeping them as suspects.”

“I clean up his messes remember?”

“Sorry Pidge. I can’t do that. Because along the way they might end up as suspects again, and then what? You might be put in as a suspect as well for trying to persuade me that they aren’t suspects, you know? It looks fishy.” Pidge shrugged.

“Well I tried anyway.” Pidge leant up against the desk as she turned back to look at her computer. Keith was able to glimpse at the screen that read 32%

“How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Honestly I don’t know. Usually it’s fast-“

“You’ve done it before?” Lance really liked to mingle with people that had problems, Keith thought somewhat bitterly. Pidge had the decency to blush.

“Yes. Some people would forget their passwords completely but they didn’t want to have to restart or pay money or even send it away. So I’d do it for them.”

“They paid you?”

“I had to earn something at school. Anyway, dad didn’t mind at least I wasn’t getting into trouble or hacking the system.”

“You can do that?” Keith asked, suddenly curious. Pidge nodded as she gulped.

“Yes. But I won’t tell you. You might nark.”

“Pidge, trust me. It would be nice to have someone like you around. It would make our jobs easier.” Pidge made a face.

“Cops seem stuffy and a bit over the top. I’d prefer to keep to the side-lines.”

“But what if I called you in to do a few things for me?”

“Why do you have a few things in mind?”

“Yeah.”

“And what’s that?” Keith snorted.

“I’m not telling you straight away. Maybe if I get to know you better,” Pidge looked startled all of a sudden as realisation hit her. “What?”

“It’s just, I’ve actually never pictured that you were so easy to talk to.” She looked guilty as she said it, her feet shuffling as she turned to face Keith once more.

“Why?” Keith asked, his voice hinting at distaste.

“Because you’re low-key famous. You go to parties were rich people, not arty people, but celebrities go to. You sleep with famous men! I didn’t expect you to be so excepting and talkative.”

“Why do you imagine all detectives to be broody and act like people aren’t worth their time?”

“No. You just seemed in the background, only sleeping with certain people, only hanging out with certain people. Like you’d act like that weird friend that would ditch you if they saw someone ‘better’.”

“It sounds like you talk from experience.”

“I’m not a newbie from that. Being the nerd does that to you. I can tell you now that I wasn’t really a popular girl that was tolerated among the cool kids.”

“And then Lance came along?”

“Yeah. He was one of those kids that had moved in from a different country half way though primary school. He only had limited English in his vocabulary when he walked into our class. I remember it actually,” Pidge seemed deep in thought as she thought back to those days “It was a math lesson. I had no friends in that class and the tables were clustered into groups of four, I was at a cluster by myself and Lance walked in with second hand clothes, his jeans ribbed but to every girl he looked like a movie star. He introduced himself and then we all had to introduce ourselves in turn. He must have noticed I was alone because he came to sit next to me, even when some people where asking for him to sit next to them,” Pidge smiled fondly, tears in her eyes, “The first thing he asked me was what my favourite colour was, in his limited English mind you. I didn’t even know he was Spanish until a translator came in for him, not a good one because he kept asking what words meant using a small Spanish to English dictionary.”

“Aren’t you younger than him?” Keith was going by looks here.

“Yeah, but, forgetting my modesty, I was smart and so I was moved up many grades. Lance was in a grade below his year level, due to him being Spanish.” Pidge pouted as she looked back at the screen. “Well it’s only 48%, so what can you tell me about yourself?”


	5. Chapter 5

"Let's not make this a repeat of last time." Allura commented, her silver dress slowly trailing behind her as she carefully made her way down the steps that were not fake polished stone that was made to resemble marble but actual marbel. Polished and reflective. Shiro looked up at the girl, his notebook in hand. 

"So you won't accuse me of trying to bring your fathers dynasty down this time?" Shiro asked pointingly. Allura smiled. 

"Ah, No. Sorry about that. I was not myself. All this investigation is going to my head," Allura grimace as she heard a stone scrap against the stone "Ah, the dogs have brought in stones." Allura commented as she bent down to pick up the stones on the marble. Shiro wouldn't even know what it was like to have such petty tendencies, to watch out for loose stones on marble. Hell Shiro didn't even care if stones were in his small foyer at his apartment, all along the carpet and in the cracks between carpet and lino. Allura would have fainted. 

"Well like the other day before you shouted at me, I was about to ask you again what happened that day Rolo was found her murdered." Shiro stated as he gave a smile, hoping that he didn't look to bashful as he looked at her. 

"Well let's find us a seat to sit on, and then we'll have a little chat." Shiro nodded in agreement as he followed Allura to the all to familiar sun room. Pastel oranges, pinks and yellows danced across the walls creating the room to appear warm and cosy. That it wasn't just a manor but a home for two people. 

"Well where should I start?" Allura asked as she gestured to the seat opposite her. Shiro sat down and glimpsed out the window that over looked a garden. Pink and purple flowers were arranged prettily along the rows and maze like structure of the garden. 

"From when you woke up, maybe what you did the night before going in from when the cops arrived," Shiro stated stiffly as he looked away from the garden. Allura clapped her hands, like she was beginning to think again. "And please all the truth. Last time we spoke you lied to me, and it's become quite clear that you have since I've had people interviewed since I last saw you." 

"Okay so the night before I went painted in my art gallery upstairs, I was there the whole night when my father asked me to organize another party as he had some interested people wanting to catch up."

"Who?"

"Sendak Eberle, Nyma Chabert, Varkon Tatasciore, Lance McClain, Blaytz Kattan, Gyrgan Segers, Trigel Harmon... those are the ones at the top of my head."

"All friends of your fathers?"

"Yes, but also regulars. They come in often."

"And what about Rolo?"

"He often came around, and was invited because of what he could spend, he also searched for paintings that were either lost or couldn't be found. He was a good negotiator."

"Were you aware that one of those people you just named was murdered just this morning. Same way as Rolo. Can you tell me of your whereabouts this morning?"

"I was walking the dogs through my garden, Coran can voice for me. He was there."

"Okay back to Rolo's death. Where were you that morning?"

"As I've said-"

"But you lied then. Tell me the truth now." Shiro informed. 

"Fine. I was talking to Lance McClain. He's my way of getting word out to everyone, especially females who tend to appreciate art more as he's kind of a flirt and gets his way around."

"Sleeping with them?" Shiro had to double check Lance's facts, as Keith had said, Lance had only slept with two people in the last few months. A girl and Keith.

"No. I think he's to scared for that." 

"Okay go on." 

"So I was discussing with him what this party was going t hold and what buyers and artists were going to be present, you know the more people that come that people like the more likely other people are to come."  

"Can you tell me how you found the body?" Allura gulped, her face went pale.

"As I do, I walk the dogs at least once every day. So I took them out for a walk, Coran had decided to stay behind as he had to attend my father. I went with them as they went off to run around the gardens like the usually do and usually they run off to play but they went to Rolo, where he had been dumped by the garden's water fountain." Shiro nodded, it checked out like last time.

"Can your father now speak to me?" 

"No. Like I say he's been busy."

"Yes but this man can't be that busy. I need to speak with his or he will be arrested," there was silence from Allura as she plucked a paint brush from the side table. "And why hasn't your father got a lawyer in? It's weird most people get one in once they smell trouble. But I haven't heard anything of a potential lawyer or even someone interested. Can you tell me why?"

"My father distrusts lawyers."

"Why?" Shiro asked, suddenly curious. Allura caught Shiro's eye. 

"Because a man once had a lawyer so convincing that he wasn't found guilty of a murder he commited. He walks free now, and every time he sees me he smiles because he knows that he's gotten away with it." Allura commented. 

"Would this man have enough motive to frame you and your father?"

"Maybe. But he got in deep last time. He was watched for months afterward and was given hell by the press."

"Name."

"Zarkon Kaplan." Shiro frowned. 

"What was he accused of?"

"Murder. I saw it with my own eyes" Allura hissed, her eyes dark with the memory of her mothers death. 

"Who was murdered?"

"My mother." Shiro looked up from his notepad and frowned once more. 

"And they didn't believe you?"

"I was a child they said that I was hallucinating and looking for someone to blame and that was because there was no solid evidence that he did kill my mother." 

"Your mother was murdered? It was a fact but they never caught the killer?"

"They never did. I did though and it was Zarkon." Allura confirmed, Shiro raised an eyebrow and jolted another note down on another fresh piece of paper. 

 _Zarkon suspect??? Murder._  

"So looking back on it now, did Zarkon have any motive, like at all?" 

"No. He was married and had a son of his own but he was a friend of father. A very close friend," Shiro tabbed his pen on the pad of paper, an just as he was about to stand up a dog came waltzing in. A rhodesian ridge, Shiro noted, with no fondness. Cats he could cope with, dogs he couldn't. Allura smiled as she patted the dog along the ridge of its back. She noted his paleness. "Not a dog person? Well if it helps Blue doesn't kill or bite. She's actually quite friendly."

"Are all you dogs rhodesian ridgeback?" Shiro asked, trying to smoother the uneasiness in his voice. 

"Yes. 2 bitches and 3 dogs. Back before they were breed to look pretty they helped round up Lions for the hunters." Shiro made a face causing for Allura to laugh. 

"That's why I don't like dogs."

"Blue won't hurt you, she's one of the friendliest out of them." Blue wagged her tail, and it was then that Shiro noticed the blue collar as she came over for pats. Shiro let out a weary hand for the dog to sniff. Hey that's what horse people do so why can't it be for dogs? Blue didn't seem to mind as she licked it and then came closer to Shiro could scratch her head. She didn't even mind his mechanical arm as he patted her with that. Allura stared at it, only now noticing the metal working in his arm. 

"What happened?"  she asked, Blue sniffed Shiro's shirt trying to regain the scratch that Shiro had stopped after Allura had begun to stare.

"Car accident." He mumbled, now avoiding eye contact before scratching the dog's head again. Paws sounded on the marble and for not the first time that day, Shiro wondered why Allura cared about stones on the marble and not dog claws. A dog, with a red collar bounded in, this time not to get a scratch but to find a spot to sit at by the window, a toy hung from it's mouth as it took in the room like it hadn't noticed that then humans were in the room. 

"That's red. A good boy but can be temperamental, doesn't bite mind you just growls and doesn't care about people or dogs bullshit. Aye red." She called him over to where he had lied down with a sigh. Red in comparison to Blue was paler and with darker ears and nose. He didn't come over for pats, instead he remained seated at Alluras side as she stroked his glossy head. 

"How can you live with so many dogs that are... so big?" Alura smiled before whistling, which was later soon followed by the sound of rapid paws on the marble floor. 

"Red's not the biggest. Yellow and Black are. Green's the smallest,"  She pointed out as 5 dogs now accommodated the room. Yellow went in for patts instantly as he rolled onto his stomach at Shiro's feet. Black sat quietly at the door waiting his turn, his tail only briefly wagging as he made his way slowly over to Shiro. "Black's the eldest and top dog of the bunch," Yellow who had only received a brief scratch from Shiro made it's way over to lax in the sun, where Green had taken over residence. It took only a few moments of peace before Black came up for pats. Shiro let out a sigh. Dogs required so much attention. Allura beamed. "He likes you. Usually he avoids new people, especially if he's never seen them before. Some trust issues because of his previous owner but he's lovely." Shiro let Black sniff his hand, and unlike Blue, he didn't lick it. Instead he wedge himself in between Shiro's legs and sat down so he was constantly looking at Shiro. Shiro only stroked the dog once before standing up and made his way to the door. 

"Well I'd better be going, got some papers to do back at the station. Call me if you want to tell me anything." Shiro stated as he slid his information card to her. She blinked at it and hesitantly picked it up to look at. 

"You introduced yourself as Shiro, but your name is Takashi. Why not-"

"Keith as a kid couldn't call me by my real name, he couldn't pronounce it. So our foster parents thought of something that he could call me 'Shiro' was easy enough and it just stuck." Allura's head tilted to the side but to avoid all other questions Shiro said his goodbyes and escorted himself to the door and exited the manor. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey Shiro. I think I've got something," Keith exclaimed, his eyes alight as he made his way into Shiro's office. "Pidge was able to get information on Sendak, by getting into his computer. Sendak is his real name, by the way and according to some deeper digging he had his files wiped clean by someone. I don't know who. Rolo, I found had the same bank account number stashed in his own bank statements that I was able to retrieve. "

"Are you getting any information on who owns the bank account?"

"Not as of yet," Keith muttered, but he still looked happy. "I can't believe we found a connection." Shiro's phone rang, loud and clear. Shiro gave Keith a look to remain quiet as he picked up the phone. 

"This is Takashi Shirogane head of the Police Department speaking."

"I think I've found something of great importance!" Shiro made a sound of irritation as he pulled the phone away from his ear. 

"It's Slav," Shiro mouthed, "What have you got?" he stated clearly into the phone. 

"The bank account number has been used recently, down at the art studio where Lance teaches. A payment was directed there." 

"Do we have a name who made the payment?" Shiro asked as he began to shrug on a coat, Keith followed suit, "And who notified you?"

"Varkon Tatasciore and Lance McClain notified me." Shiro gave Keith a look. 

"Where will we find him?"

"I'll send you the address." Shiro hung up and raised an eyebrow. 

"Seriously you gave LAnce the bank account number?" Shiro scolded. Keith made a sound. 

"He knows a lot of people Shiro. I asked him if he recognized the bank account number and he said that he'd have a look into it."  Shiro sighed before opening his office door. 

"He's a suspect and shouldn't know any of this." 

"He felt guilty, and Pidge insisted that he could help due to him knowing basically everyone on that list that you were able to get from Allura." Keith grumbled as they both made their way to the elevator. 

"He's a suspect Keith. Jeez, you've never let any of your own night stands on a case." 

"Shut up." Keith growled lowly as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"What? I'm just saying." Shiro muttered as the door binged and they made their way to their vehicles. 

"Were taking mine."

"No."

"Yes." Shiro gave Keith a glare. 

"No."

"Yes because I'm not just saying this to get you in my car but I've got more gas and it means that you won't be driving angry."

"I'm not angry." Shiro insisted, but he made his way over anyway. 

"Sure about that?" 

"I'm certain." 

"Get in the car grump." Shiro didn't even reply as he got into the car. 


	6. Chapter 6

"So, Keith, what did Varkon have to say about himself?" Shiro asked, a little hop in his step as he made his way down the stairs leading to the station. Keith shrugged. 

"Not enough. He won't speak, so I've had him detained until tomorrow morning, it's been a hell of a day and I just want to go home and relax." Keith stated, his car flashed as Keith unlocked it from a far. A single breeze tore through the street causing for Keith's hair to get into his eyes. 

"Well that's to bad. Anyway. How do you think Varkon did it?" Shiro asked as he walked his youngest brother to the car. Keith shrugged again and turned towards Shiro to look at him. 

"I don't think he did it."

"Why? I mean he is the only connection."

"Yes but there must be something more. Varkon is at least telling the truth when he said that he sold them paintings and artwork through personal ties. It's obvious VArkon helped Rolo find whatever he needed to find and it is also obvious that Sendak bought paintings from him," Keith chewed at his lip, before spotting a figure moving towards them, "Oh no. Lance in coming." Keith could hear Lance chuckle from the other side of the street, Shiro turned away from his brother to look at the darker skinned man. 

"What are you doing here?" Shiro asked, frustration clearly in his voice. Lance smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the street light. 

"I'm a bad smell and I think I can help you." Shiro groaned as he tightened his jacket around him and glared. 

"No thanks, Lance. We can do just fine without you, and plus why should we trust a suspect?" Lance cleared his throat before speaking again. 

"Shiro, I know I'm probably-"

"-most definitely"

"Am not in your good books by any accounts. Yes I screwed your brother, both literally and figuratively, and yes I may have not cheated on my ex who always gets the wrong image. But this case is amusing to watch to all those spectators out there. Making it harder for you and your little brother to find this murderer. I can assure you, even if you won't believe me, that I am not a murderer. I'm just curious as to why this person has made it look like other people and what type of dirt this person has on us," Lance stopped at Shiro's side a shit eating grin on his face "And because I want to know who is next, not because I want to hear all the goss, but because I want to help piece it together." Lance finished with a clap of his hands. 

"As I said before. No thanks."

"Shiro _please_. I know your the big boss in town and I need your permission to help, as Pidge said that it's probably not a good idea if I just join."

"No-"

"If you can give us valuable information," Keith interrupted quickly, "I hear that you know a lot of people, and as you've said before, this murder is related to someone in the art industry. You're a part of this."

"Keith no."

"Shiro yes. LAnce can help us majorly in this case."

"Or he just wants you to believe he isn't the murderer." Keith blinked, and Lance stood there like he hadn't heard the accusation. 

"No. I have a feeling that the killer is out there, that it's not Lance." Keith gave Lance a look of guilt. "But if you go off on this case you won't be coming back all sorry, no I'll be wringing you about the ears. YOu understand Lance?"

"My ears heard everything you said about them." Lance replied with some humor. Shiro rolled his eyes as he looked at Keith, his eyes darkened and his nose scrunched. 

"If he screws up this investigation he will be booted immediately. Do you understand Keith?"

"Yes Shiro."

"Good now get to bed." Shiro cast a glare at Lance as he walked away to his own car which beeped in it's own turn. Keith gave Lance a look between disdain and curiosity. 

"What do you really want Lance?"

"Really? I just told you the truth."

"Ah ha, and I'm meant to believe you after... I don't know, how many times of lying to me?? "

"Keith I think I've explained myself enough. Nyma is an ex who I was covering for." Keith looked away to open his car door, he noted LAnce's face in the reflection of his car window. Lance's brow was creased into a frown, his eyes gleaming with hope and his arms tucked together in an act of submission. Keith knew, more than thought, that he liked seeing Lance in a position like this. Submissive. It almost made Keith shudder at the thought of it. Shoving the thought away Keith gave Lance a look that he hoped would resemble a look that colleges gave each other when they were offering help. He didn't want an _erection_ now. Hell, Keith would get shit from Lance for it. 

"Where's your car?" Keith asked, LAnce made a face at Keith, his blue eyes sparkling but his lips in a downward smile. 

"I walked here. I'm out of gas." Keith raised an eyebrow and sighed before gesturing to the front passenger door. 

"Come on in. No complaining about the music though, I like it therefore you don't have to." Keith dismissed Lance's facial expression with a wave as he got in the drivers seat and closed the door. Lance followed suit not three seconds after. Keith started the engine, only fumbling for a brief few moments as Lance watched intensely from his seat. Lance made a sound as the car turned on and the radio, which was turned up loud just the way Keith liked it. 

"Jeez, lower the volume. I'm not sure how you can hear after listening to that for more than 2 seconds." Lance complained as he rubbed at his ringing ears. Keith made a face at him. 

"What did I say before?"

"No complaining?" Keith turned down the music anyway. 

"Yes." Lance opened his mouth several times like he was wondering what to say, but finally he opted to not say anything and just sit there. Lance's phone rung, it's tune familiar to Keith as the 'Jaws' theme song. 

"Hello," Lance said in a friendly, happy go lucky voice. "Yes this is Lance how may I help- no I don't know about that... wait what? But- no- I.. what about them? Yes I knew them. Wait- no- I won't- you'll kill her?" Keith turned his face to look at Lance, who had gone pale, his eyes wide and his pupil dilated. "-you'll kill Allura? But- no- yes he's here with me," Lance took the phone away from his ear, and with his fingers ahking he placed the phone at Keith's ear. 

"Who is this?" Keith asked, determined. 

"I'm afraid little fledgling that I cannot tell you. But what I can tell you is that of you are keep moving on this case of you, more people will die quicker." The voice was like gravel moving against each other. Keith bite back a retort. 

"Why are you doing this?" Keith's phone buzzed beside him and a message appeared, Keith looked down to peek at the message. It was an unknown cellphone number and it read:

**_ Picka boo! _ **

"Wow very original buddy. Now tell me your motive." 

"They've done wrong to me. So I'd be careful where you step and who you get involved." The guy hung up, leaving Keith to look back at the screen or a moment with a look of horror. 

"Who? Do you know him?" Keith asked Lance who still sat pale and almost lifeless on the seat. Lance turned to look at Keith in turn. 

"No. Do you think this number called the other people?" Lance asked, Keith rested his hand on Lances to help soothe him. 

"Honestly I don't know. Slav never mentioned it before," Lance nodded as he looked down at the ground. "What did he want you to do?"

"Kill you, or kill Nyma." Keith frowned. 

"What?" 

"You heard me. he wanted me to kill either you or Nyma, and you were there I said no. So if she ends up dead I'm not to blame." Keith nodded as he ordered Siri to phone Shiro. 

"What?" Shiro asked irritated. "I was about to eat my burger." 

"The murderer just phoned Lance. Nyma is the next possible hit..."

"... shit, anything else?"

"I think it wasn't one person that killed them. I think a person was ordered to kill them for the mastermind behind this all," Keith could hear Lance taking deep breaths "He threatens those they love," Keith knew that look, the murderer has ordered Lance to kill Keith or Allura or the murderer would kill someone he knew deeply, his niece maybe. Someone Lance couldn't bear to lose. "Shiro we need to find this man. He's going to kill, if it's not Nyma, he's going to kill either Allura or Lance's family." Keith could hear Shiro taking down notes. 

"I'll call for backup, we need everyone on alert. I'll call the cops on night duty as well." Shiro hung up without another word, obviously dashing to call everyone. 

"Keith," Lance stated, his voice soft after the moment of silence "Can you take me to my sisters? I'll feel better if I was there with them." Keith nodded as he looked in his review mirror and down a U turn to change directions. Lance let out a laugh, which seemed out of place in a situation like this one. 

"What?"

"You know where my sister lives?"

Keith hesitated. It wouldn't be healthy if he stated that he had looked into Lance's file while he had had lunch break. "Ah yeah." 

"Do you ever rest. I mean it's been a full on day for you..." Lance stopped and a smile appeared again on his face, "...this is what I meant when I asked you how you had a defined body. You like never rest and you've done tons. Looked into two murders, had questioned three people that I know of and studied my files," Keith choked "Please I know that look of guilt. It was obvious that you had looked into my file." Keith licked his lips and glimpsed at Lance and then back at the road. Keith had to admit, he wasn't much of an Instagram man but that was a perfect picture. Oranges dancing against Lance's skin as the made their way through town, his eyes reflecting the lights of passing cars while his hair was lightened by it. 

"Was it true that you were arrested when you were 17?" Keith asked, generally curious as to why. Lance looked downwards again and fiddled with a bracelet that Keith only had just recognized the object from when he had slept with Lance. Lance chewed at his lip.

"Yes," Lance answered quietly "I use to tag street walls and get caught doing it that was the first time I was arrested." 

"And the second time?"

"I was on the end of Pidge's pranks gone wrong. In the end her parents paid the bail."

"What was the prank?" Keith asked, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel soundlessly. 

"Scaring people in a dark alley way. It was halloween. They didn't get the joke and some people called the cops and they said that I was causing harm to those who walked past." Keith snorted. 

"Really?" Keith let out a laugh, trying to loosen the tension. 

"It's not funny," Lance smiled, although his face was still taunt and his fingers rubbed his bracelet around his wrist, "My mama had a very stern talk to me, my father well... he was never the yelling type, he gave you this angry look and you knew that you were in his bad books so you had to keep everything good for awhile," Lance made a face at the memory but remained quiet until they pulled up into Lance's sisters driveway. Lance snorted again this time out of disbelief. "I still can't believe that you read my files." He smiled a forced smile, Keith could see it in his eyes. His hand went to the handle and the door swung open as he pushed it open with his leg. 

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Lance seemed to think for a moment.

"Why you offering to get my work clothes?" Lance huffed as he got out of the car and shoved his hands into his green jacket. 

"If that's what you want." Keith replied. Lance thought again and looked back at the house before reply. 

"Ah yeah could you get my Holt Co. clothes? They should be hanging up on the clothes rack," Keith went to close the door after Lance, his hand on the opposite side as Lance stared into the car, "And Keith, be careful. As you said the murderer is out there. He might be there." Keith nodded as he closed the door, he wound down the window as Lance tabbed on the window, "Thanks."

"Thank me later when I come back with your stuff. Make sure to tell your sister to keep an eye out, but don't give her details. She might freak." Lance nodded as he took his hands out of his pockets to wave Keith off. Keith made sure he had entered the house before turning the corner. It seemed a longer drive than it was without Lance, as it was quite and Keith was left to his own thoughts. Why was he still helping Lance after all he'd done? Why was the murderer after people involved in the art industry? Why? Why? Why? Keith phone went off and answering it with a tab on the car's screen Shiro's voice boomed throughout the car. 

"Where are you?"

"At Lance's house. He's pretty freaked so he's staying with someone, so I offered to get his clothes for him." Keith could hear Shiro humming, a habit that he had developed to stop himself from saying something he might regret. 

"Keith. Another murder happened. Alfor is dead." Keith went quiet. 

"When?"

"You were right that the murderer was on the loose. But I think he was distracting you because Alfor's dead and Allura is now crying in her sunroom with her dogs."

"The dogs didn't attack the intruder?" 

"No they sleep with Allura. It also means, if the dogs did hear this person enter, that this person was known to the dogs."

"Coran there butler?" Keith asked as he hopped out of the car and made his way to Lance's door. He searched for the spare key, and when he found it in a shoe he unlocked the door and switched on the lights. 

"No. He's a mess as well. He found the body. Apparently at 9:30 on the dot Coran goes in to turn out the lights for Alfor. Alfor was dead by the time he got into the room, and there's no sign of break in."

"Someone with a key?"

"Maybe. We're not sure. I'll ask Allura if anyone had the key," Shiro's mouth went away from the phone, and only moments later he was at it again, "Well she knew what I was going to ask. Well here it goes, stop me if your recognize any names. Lance, of course, and get this, Rolo and Sendak," there was silence, "I think the murderer is getting a pattern of who has the keys," Keith went silent again, his heart hammering as he stood at the laundry door, "You think Lance is...?"

"Yes. How far you away from his house?"

"You don't think that the murder will do something like this?" Keith asked as he scooped up the clothing on the clothes rack and shoved them into a random bag he found. He ran to the door, fumbled with the key and locked the door before hopping in the car. "I'm about 10 minutes away." 

"Cool. Ring if you need anything." Shiro hung up again and this time Keith wanted the peace as he put placed his foot on the accelerator. He needed to get there before the killer. 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

"Lance are you sure you're okay?" Keith asked as he sat perched on the edge of the seat of his chair. Lance gave a soft weary smile as he wrapped his fingers around his cup and took a deep sip of his now cold tea.

"Yeah. You know my employer has just been murdered in his bed. I'm fine," Lance muttered, avoiding eye contact. Keith was drumming his fingers on Camila's table top, her daughter, Isabella, was seated beside Keith. She was staring at him in wonder as she seemed to contemplate if Keith was really a princess. She giggled every time Keith looked over to see if she still was, and every time he did she was still looking. Lance gave a tight smile to his niece as she picked at her nose and tugged on her braids. "Izzy do you want to go and get something for uncle Lance?" Isabella nodded enthusiastically. "Could you get my phone beside the couch, it's on charge." Isabella nodded again, grinned at Keith and gave a shriek of a giggle as she raced off. Lance whistled low as she made a face at Keith. 

"It's alright to cry." Keith reminded Lance for the fourth time that morning. 

"It's alright to sleep you know." Lance grumbled back, his eyes downcast in sadness. It was true, ever since Alfor's murder Keith had been in the house awake, guarding the only door in that couldn't be locked. He still was yet to have a proper nights sleep. Lance looked up to watch Isabella walk over, his phone in hand. 

"I think I've forgotten how to. Anyway. We'll just need you phone to see where he called you from, then we can check security cameras and hopefully close in on the murderer." Lance nodded slowly before chewing on his lip. 

"Do you think that I am in line of sight for the murderer." Keith considered before replying. 

"No. I think your sister is more likely of a victim than you are, this man knows that you're now fully protected by the Police Department and they'll be searching for a weak spot." Lance nodded silently as he got up from the table and turned on the jug again. This was Lance's third tea this morning. 

"Is there anything I can do to protect my family?" Lance asked quietly, at the moment Camila came in, her hair a mess.

“Nope. You’ll just get in the way if you try and help. But to help your family… probably. You can get them to move somewhere else for a while. To maybe some other family…” Keith gave Lance a look that hope came across warm and knowing. Lance frowned and thought. 

“I’ve only got family in Cuba. My sister… actually I have a brother that lives just outside Texas with his partner. She works at the airport there,” Lance confirmed as he thought again “Although I think my sister would prefer it if she stayed. She doesn’t want Isabella to miss anything.” Keith nodded, he understood, although she could attend another school…

“Okay, ummm… I’ll try and get someone to guard your house as long as the treat remains the same. But it is a maybe, our whole squadron is stretched to the max looking for this serial killer and also fighting other crime within the city.” Lance nodded. Camlia sat at the table. 

“I can stay here, maybe I can get correspondence for Isabella. That way she’s still learning.”

“What about income?” Keith asked, “Just asking to make sure you’re sorted.” 

“I have a partner. Airforce. We get income from him.” Keith nodded again and Isabella giggled as Keith briefly caught eyes with her. Camila scolded her. 

“Izzy stop that. The detective has work to do,” Isabella didn’t seem to be fazed by the scolding instead she relished in it and leaned on the table with the palm of her hands. It was then that Keith noticed the small pink bracelets from what she had been wearing not moments before was now sliding across the table as she climbed up onto it and grinned at him sheepishly. Camila smiled apologetically as she carefully picked her daughter up from behind. “Sorry, she’s never seen anyone a man-“

“-with long hair before. Mama he must be a princess!” Isabella shrieked with laughter, “Keef needs to wear a bracelet to show that he is one,” Lance went poker face as he looked up to see what Keith was surely feeling. Keith ignored the snide look on Shiro’s face as he leaned against the kitchen door. Keith had only just noticed that he had been standing here. “Well that’s what Mia told me anyway.” Isabella announced stubbornly, until it was interrupted by fits of giggles again as Camila was able to take Isabella away. Lance raised an eyebrow at Keith, the first time Lance had done so in a while. Shiro moved to stand next to his younger brother. 

“Lance, I would advise you to go somewhere else. This serial killer has now three murders under his belt, one he did in a locked house. We’re not certain of the extent that this murderer will go just to kill someone.” Lance paled again and licked his lips. 

“I need to stay here. Comfort Allura. Her father has been murdered and there is no one else other than Coran that will be there for her. I don’t even know if she had any real friends if I am bring honest.” 

“But who says that you will be protected by Allura?” Shiro asked “Like I said, the murderer broke into the same house that you’re planning on going to. SO it might not be such a wise idea.” Lance’s eyes went hard. 

“Shiro, I know that you hate my ideas. But Allura’s dogs will protect, the reason that I believe that the animals didn’t protect Alfor was because he was too far away for the scent to carry. Allura prefers to sleep near the sun room on the top floor. Alfor prefers to sleep on the bottom floor because he had easier access to his library and office.” 

“Yes you may be right, but this murderer might also not be new to the dogs so isn’t seen as a threat.” Shiro replied sternly. Camila entered the room again, a blush on her cheeks. 

“Sorry about that. Again Camila has never really seen a man with a.. ugh, forgive me, but mullet before. One of her friends must have told her that men with long hair are princesses. It’s just a childish notion.” Camila apologised. Shiro replied for Keith. 

“No it’s alright. Keith need’s to loosen up anyway, to tense in the shoulders. You see there? They bunched, and he has slack relaxation methods.” Lance clicked his tongue as he caught onto what Shiro was hinting at, even though it wasn’t much hinting. 

“Okay enough with the story of Keith’s relaxation habits, what are you planning next?” Lance asked. Keith waved his hand idly in the air. 

“You’re not thinking of helping, still are you?” 

“I might be.” 

“Lance your life, and your sisters family are in possible danger.” Lance’s eyes dulled. 

“Yes but yours might be to. You heard the serial killer. Your life, Nyma’s against my sisters, my nieces and my brother in laws. The killer knows you’re involved somehow. And I’m pretty sure that this serial killer does only see black and white. He sees someone with only slight ties like you sleeping with me for example and instantly he might think ‘He’s tied to the art industry let’s get him’ and then he sees the other side where they aren’t involved at all.” Lance commented, Keith frowned. 

“Honestly I’ve never thought of that before.” Keith grunted as he bumped his knee beneath the table. 

“Trust me it’s been eating away at me… because honestly that makes a lot of people that could be victims.” 

“Yeah, more than half the population, maybe more.” 

Shiro gave a weak smile. “Everyone is involved in art somehow. Either it be buying, selling or doing the art work… even sleeping with an artist. No, I think it’s connected to a company of sorts.” 

“A company?” Lance asked, suddenly curious. “I’m not a part of a company.” 

“No you might not think that. But listen. Rolo and Sendak received the same bank account number. A payment made to god knows what. But who is Varkon working for? Lance, he paid you, giving you ties to this company that Varkon’s working for.” 

“But what about Allura?” Camila asked her face pale with worry “Her father only dealt in his own affairs. Lance told me so.” 

“That is what we’ve got to find out. Maybe Alfor was a secret part of the company. We’ll never now until we do some deeper digging,” Everyone went quite “And Lance if you want to help us I’ll need you to find if Allura’s father made any payments to the same account or vice versa. Maybe if we’re lucky Varkon will tell us what the payments exchanged were for.” Lance raised a hand to get Shiro’s attention, causing for Keith to laugh. It was such a childlike thing to do. 

“Shiro. Varkon only pays for his classes. I’ve never bought anything from him, or he’s never brought anything from me.” Shiro rubbed at the scar on his nose. Keith drummed his fingers on the table again. 

“We’ll have to keep digging. This serial killer must be working in a pattern, we just need to find it.” Keith’s phone rung and everyone jumped as the intense atmosphere was shattered. 

“This is Keith Kogan speaking.” Keith answered, his voice rough. 

“Ah, yes. I think I’ve found something. Varkon never made more than one payment to each account… and usually it was paid when the victims were being murdered. The time and dates match to the autopsy that was done.” Slav’s voice crowed on the other end of the phone. Keith blinked as he looked around the room. 

“Slav reckons that the payment was made at around the time they were murdered.” Shiro let out a hushed breath. 

“Ah, yes. But it also showed that the murderer was the person the murdered the victims. He didn’t have different DNA, and murdered almost identically to how the other two were murdered.” 

“So this serial killer has tried to get someone to murder another person or else he murders someone else and he’s failed three times so far.” 

“Yes. It would make sense. He threatened Lance, you were there so Lance couldn’t just say yes, so the murderer killed someone else.” 

“To create fear perhaps.” 

“It looks like so.” Keith whistled under his breath. 

“Then what about the payments? It doesn’t make sense.” 

“No it doesn’t. Unless the murderer was making Varkon pay the people he murdered to throw everyone off.” 

“Ah ha. And he’s doing a fine job of it. Anyway thanks Slav.” Keith hung up before Slave could say goodbye. “Well as you know Slav thinks that the murders and payments happened around the same time.” Lance squinted. 

“I was paid before though.”

“Yes. That’s what I thought.”

“Yes but Varkon was being held at the station. Someone else done it,” Shiro muttered, he made his way to the door. “It might not even be Varkon that’s doing it. It might be some massive con that we’re now trapped in.” He twisted the handle that would take him outside. “And we’re stuck right in the middle of it. Yay. How exciting.” And Shiro was gone. No one spoke. Not for a long time. Isabella then returned a smile on her face. 

“Keef. Mumma said I had to say sorry, so I drew you a picture.” She held out a picture, a red and blue boy’s (or what Keith thought they were) stood side by side. She grinned. “That’s uncle Lance and you,” Camila chocked on her spit as she went pink in the face from embarrassment. Lance looked ready to sprint out the door. Isabella didn’t even comprehend the mortified expression on both her relatives she only smiled further. “Well you are friends, aren’t you?”

 

* * *

  
Keith decided that he would never return to Lance’s household again. Not because he didn’t like the people that occupied it, but because he decided that he couldn’t look at Lance the same way as he did before he met him. Unlike what Lance thought, Keith had noticed Lance more than once. Not because he was pretty for a guy but because he had noticed his work, and admittingly he had enjoyed looking at the way Lance lost himself in the paintings that he occupied his time with. Keith had seen it twice before he had stumbled on Lance at the bar and then proceeded to flirt and then have sex, once at a carnival. Lance had been selling his paintings and painting for those who had wanted quick little portraits of basically anything they wanted. The second time was when Lance had taken to the street markets that happened every Sunday. On that day Keith had had the day off and so had thought that he could be spending his time doing something other than lounging or going through reports.   
It was mere luck that Keith had stumbled on Lance and was able to woo Lance into his own bed.   
Now all Keith could think about when he was with Lance’s house was the way they had had sex. He could think about how Lance had seemed to need he more than anything else, that Keith had felt special being the first guy that Lance had brought home with him. Maybe Keith decided, Lance just needed to make Keith feel special one more time.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Lance felt the familiar sense of drowsiness wash over him as he proceeded to make himself a cup of tea. It was 5 in the morning, and had only been 3 days since Alfors murder. Since then Keith had gone nowhere on the case and had proceeded to keep himself occupied at his desk, last time Lance had gone in on to check on him Keith was not the normal refreshed Keith. His hair had been at angles, his ties loose, his shirt creased, files piled up on one side of the desk and discarded take away coffee cups on the floor surrounding his desks. It was an ugly sight. Shiro had tried to convince Lance that this was entirely normal and that he often went into periods like this when nothing new came up, but Lance had insisted that this was not normal. The Keith that Lance knew, well from the magazines or newspapers anyway, was that he appeared dressed in a well made but wealthy looking trench coat that mimicked something that the angel from Supernatural wore. Cassiel? No, his sister had told him it was Castiel. An angel of Thursdays. 

Lance jumped as his phone went off, interrupting his train of thoughts, well that wasn't going anywhere anyway. "This is Lance McClain speaking." Lance stated simply as he played with a small paintbrush. It was still wet from washing it earlier, the kettle went off beside him. 

"Why Hello this is Hira from Blades of Marmora speaking, I've been trying to get into contact with Allura, but her butler told me to contact you for official business," Lance held onto the sigh that threatened to escape him. "I was wondering whether this party was happening or not due to Alfor's unfortunate murder.  You see I've got many things to do and I've got to make sure that nothing is happening that day." Lance didn't reply for awhile, and the lady, Hira or whatever she called herself, didn't reply or press for any information. 

"Honestly. I don't know. But so far I haven't heard anything of it being canceled. Allura would have told me otherwise. So if anything changes I could call you back or leave you a message at the Blades of Marmora. Kolivan will be able to contact you if I do?"

"Of course. I'm a blade," Lance rolled his eyes at the nickname that they had decided to call themselves. Apparently it told everyone of their precise actions of hand when they were contributing to the art world. Frankly Lance found it stupid and silly. "So yes Kolivan should be able to contact me if this was to occur." Lance nodded. 

"Okay so don't make any plans because as far as I am concerned I haven't been told that it has been canceled." Lance confirmed as he poured the hot water into a mug and then dipped in the tea bag. Lance felt his eyes threaten to close, so Lance pinched himself. Hira hung up without a further goodbye. Ugh, they were so rude. Lance left the tea bag in as he made his way back, with paintbrush in hand, to the small room that Lance had created for his paintings. Right now he was working on a sunset, something that vaguely reminded him of home. Right now he was waiting for any ideas to come crashing down onto him so he could paint further. The sunset was finished but needed something _extra_ , Lance could feel it in his gut. A person perhaps, not that Lance liked painting people, in a matter of fact Lance preferred not to. People came in various shapes and sizes but what Lance's imagination made up for the landscapes that he painted, he couldn't create a person and he had never liked painting people he knew. It was a personal act, but he had on occasions painted people at festivals or on the street. Lance stood staring that the canvas, watching as he slowly killed the image in his mind and creating it into something that he didn't even like. Well someone else would like it. Lance took the canvas off the stand he had placed it on and found himself a new one. Lance's doorbell rung as Lance set it onto the stand. Setting down his cup of tea Lance went to investigate. 

Opening the door Lance was both amused and shocked to see Keith standing outside, his coat pressed tight to him as the rain began to steadily come down. Huh, Lance hadn't realized that it had started raining. "Yes Keith. Do you wish something of me?" Lance asked as he greeted Keith in with a wave. "You know you just interrupted me in the midst of my paintings." Keith smiled in returned to Lance's remark. 

"Yeah and you've probably started another one since I last saw you." Lance made a face at him as he guided Keith to the kitchen. 

"Coffee? Tea?"

"Uhh, no thanks. I just ate and drank. Shiro pulled me over and had me socializing with other people." 

"So you're not on your relaxation streak again?" Lance asked as he turned around to avoid the look on Keith's face. Lance could feel Keith let out a breath. 

"Not you to. Shiro's been looking in too. But no. The case has my full attention." Lance turned around to face him now, to study the male before him. Lance almost hated what he saw. A perfect image to paint with his expensive trench coat that reminded him of that sherlock or angel dude, his nice hair that had a slight curl to the ends of them and his _face_. His face that could easily be painted or slapped across every beauty magazine in the world. Grey purple eyes that reflected every light within the room, A small nose and pale skin. Lance almost blushed as Keith stared without blinking, like he was taking every detail of Lance. Lance had to restrain himself from shuddering. Officially this would be the undressing look. Lance bite his tongue to stop himself. He knew that this couldn't be done, they were working together and Keith always had a full schedule. And admittingly Lance knew that Keith probably had someone lined up right now, even if he was working on a case.  Lance had gotta be kidding himself, Keith was the professional billboard of '#1 most played and player'. Lance ignored the look and sat down. 

"Well what you're here for? Not to talk to me of family problems. So what have you found on the case, do you need me to pull a few strings?" Keith looked down at his hands, they were steady and strong. 

"No. I just wanted company." Lance raised an eyebrow. 

"Seriously?" 

"Well yes. I heard that your private lessons had been canceled and I needed someone to talk to. Shiro at the moment is wrapped up in other investigations and the big boss is in town so Shiro's got to impress him as it's his first year on the job." Lance made a face. 

"Is that all?" 

"No." Keith didn't say anymore. Somehow Lance knew what he wanted, but really he wanted to be hard to get. After awhile of silence Lance responded. 

"You want a distraction." It was a statement. Lance knew it. Keith knew it. They both knew it. Keith was looking down at his hands which were still as steady as ever. How could he do that without shaking and almost passing out? He had come here to ask Lance of something to do, most preferably him, and he wasn't shaking. Lance had to remind himself that he was just someone that Keith would have a fling with and then move on once he found someone else new. Someone else that could fill that hunger of Keith Kogan, a famed detective but also famed with sleeping with nearly every gay that would. Lance felt his heart quicken despite himself. He shouldn't have. He should be insulted, that he was seen as someone to have sex with just so Keith could relax. He wasn't insulted though, more like flattered that Keith hadn't slept with anyone else and had come back again.  For seconds. Lance needed some advice, and quick. 

"That's right." Keith muttered, not daring to look at Lance again, after awhile of silence of both sitting there Keith looked up to look at Lance. Lance gave a smile, not daring to move because of fear of what his body would do. Keith was still as Lance finally stood, allowing his body to do whatever it wished. It wished... to go toilet apparently as it made it's way to the bathroom. lance must have looked like a dick. A cock block as some might say. Lance preferred not to think about that, but instead he shouted after himself. 

"Let me go to the bathroom." Lance closed the door behind him and then leaned up against the door. Instead of contemplating if he should, well assuming that Keith did, if they should start off what they had begun on that morning after they had meet, he thought of how twisted it felt. That Keith had come back despite that he had been a suspect and someone who hadn't been entirely truthful towards. His heart gave a light throb. His groin ached. His body trembled. Lance knew how much of a fool he was to feel this way. It was clear to him. They shouldn't- but that wouldn't stop them from doing something stupid entirely. Lance didn't hear the front door open or close when he was in there, meaning that Keith was out there waiting for his answer. 

Damn Keith was persistent, but then again he had to be. Lance opened the door and with a deep breath he made his way back to the kitchen. Everything ached. Internal and external. He peeked around the corner and found Keith still sitting there, this time though he had found himself something to look at. Something that Lance hadn't shown anyone. A painting. Not very good as Lance saw it, but it could be worth something in the market. It was a picture of the beach that Lance found himself on long summer days when he couldn't even comprehend what the meaning of art was. The days when he wasn't on office duties with Pidge. It was when he relaxed.

Keith had a small smile on his lips as he traced a finger along the precise lines. Colours, Lance's favourites, danced along the waves that reflected the light sky. It was a calm day, not the stormy crashing waves that occupied others people's art, but the steady small waves of a calm day. Lance remembered that day. He had just had a small argument with Pidge, not of anything in particular, actually Lance couldn't even remember what it was about, and he had needed some air. Hunk had tried to persuade Lance into going to the kitchen with him. Lance had refused, not that polite as Lance had been in a sour mode, and he had made his way down to the beach. It hadn't been crowded, people were at work, children at school, young adults at university or just starting their careers and the elderly at home doing whatever they were doing. Lance had fallen in love with that beach. On a stormy day he went out to chase the waves with the small crappy surfboard from his childhood, on a good calm day he painted or played in the sand. Lance must have not been quite because Keith looked up and placed the painting on the small table just opposite the dinner table. Lance had placed it there so he could get rid of it, his room got cluttered if he kept them all. 

"Oh, uh, sorry I got distracted." Keith looked guilty, his cheeks tinted slightly from being caught out off guard. 

"No it's okay." Lance replied. Keith gave him a smile, maybe he was contemplating why he actually came, and that maybe it was a bad idea. 

"You know, it's okay-"

"-Keith. I mean I just had to think." Keith shoved his hands into his pockets. 

"Well did you?" Keith asked.

"Yes," Lance replied, this time abit more awkward than he hoped. Suddenly as the awkward fever took hold Lance began to laugh, soon Keith was joining in and that lifted the tension a bit. "I think I can help you with a distraction." Keith gave a small smile, his eyes gleaming with mischief. All awkwardness forgotten Lance moved towards the bedroom, if he was going to do this again he wasn't going to do it in the kitchen. Lance had standards, and mostly it involved beds as it was private, that it gave him some sense of security. Looking back as he made his way to the bedroom he noted that Keith had a sheepish grin on his face, his fingers entwined with each other as he followed hesitantly, while slowly regaining his Keith Kogan vibe. Lance was surely going to make a better impression than last time. 

 

* * *

 

Lance decided that his impression was better, but not by much. Keith, upon releasing Lance after their final duet together had slept soundly beside Lance, as Lance to relaxed as tiredness washed over him. Lance then decided that he had the sudden urge to actually go toilet. Glancing at his clock on his nightstand, Lance realised that they had been going at it for over 2 hours, surely the longest Lance had ever, and mostly like would have. He ached from muscles he didn't even know exist, and with some damp humor Lance noted that it was kind some form of yoga on it's own. Maybe he didn't have to turn up to the yoga class later in the evening. Keith groaned in his sleep as Lance shifted away to make his way to the connected bathroom, which was small and plain. He needed to wash up anyway. Instead of leaving the bathroom immediately after washing up, he looked himself in the mirror, and with some sort of horror noted that several red angry spots appeared upon his neck, chest and some even trailed down to his waist. 

 _Can't hickies kill you?_ Lance thought, his mind reeling. Keith had destroyed Lance's perfect unblemished skin. Lance studied further, and was please to note that nothing else of a description was displayed upon his skin. That Keith had been easy and was able to take Lance away from his timidness and transform it into pleasure.  Lance made his way into the bedroom again, Keith this time was awake, a grin on his face and his eyes barely open as he fought of the waves of relaxed muscles and general wholeness, creating a tiredness deep within. 

"You know, you lasted longer this time, surprisingly." Lance didn't bother to grab blankets to hide his nudity. Keith had seen his body probably more than any woman he had been with before. Lance didn't bother to mention that he had tried to last longer every time, but upon his addled mind and lose thinking his efficiency for trying to last longer grew weaker and eventually Keith was left to waiting his turn every time. Lance almost felt sorry for Keith, if it weren't for the satisfaction located deep within his gut. Even after the last couple of hours events Lance hadn't felt this renewed. Lance sat on the bed, allowing Keith to trace the muscle and bone with a finger, the finger seemed to lull Keith to sleep as he stopped tracing and began to gently snore. Lance replaced the discarded blankets on top of Keith before dragging another blanket over himself as he went to retrieve his phone on the kitchen table. He had missed several messages, most of which consisted of Pidge and Hunk, both who were very enthusiastic in Lance's role in the murder case that was getting more wide spread each day. More people seemed to know about, and according to Shiro, Keith was getting the bunt of the criticism. 

And just like that it clicked as to why Keith probably hadn't left his office before his hours ended. He didn't want to be swarmed by the media who had begun to dot themselves around the place waiting for the famous Keith Kogan to show his head. Lance even recalled his name being flashed across the newspapers no and then. The media weren't going to take this lightly very odd partnership lightly. Lance had already heard the criticism of the people who believed that Lance should step back from helping Keith as, people noted that Lance was 'pretty' and that it would distract Keith from the trouble at hand. Lance had even popped up as a rumor that they were more than partners, but it had been shut down in its first few hours of breath. All thanks to Pidge. 

Lance decided to call Pidge, who picked up straight away. "Where have you been?" Pidge hissed loudly as she picked up the phone. 

"Uhh hear, like always." 

"Wow, Keith went to your house again didn't he?" Lance chewed on his lips. All he wanted to do was gush about it all, just like the usually did together. But he refrained himself. "Oh god, you did, didn't you? I can basically hear you swooning from here. "

"I don't swoon." Lance remarked as he played with the frayed bits of blanket that was tucked underneath his armpit. Pidge made a sound.

"Oh no. You're an idiot." 

"Nope. I can clarify that I am 100 percent not an idiot." Lance was grinning now as he spoke. 

"I thought you told us that it was a one night stand, not some friends with benefits thing that you're going with right now." 

"No, it's more like co-workers with benefits," Lance remarked again, "But I've got to go and nap, so I'll talk to you later." Lance hung up the phone without bothering to hear Pidge's reply as he made his way back to the bedroom where Keith hadn't' moved an inch. Instead of doing what he usually would have done, which was sleep on the couch as it would have been awkward to go back to bed, Lance crawled into the sheets which smelled Keith expensive cologne and sex and faced Keith and for that brief few moments of calmness Lance lay there studying him. His critical eye, his artist eye, took in every detail that Keith had. His ears, his mouth still puffy from kissing, his eyelids that hid beautiful eyes, the small light freckles that couldn't be seen from a distance, the way his hair curled around his neck and the way his chin tucked into his chest. Keith phone went off, indicating a message and hoping on his elbows Lance was able to see Shiro's nickname 'Cop Dad' on the screen. Numbers and words accompanied the message. A date maybe? More data to work on? Lance decided to not look, well it was Lance's day off for a reason. And so Lance shuffled into the sheets further, the warmth from Keith made Lance give a satisfied sigh as he moved closer to Keith and closed his eyes for the needed nap. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Keith avoided Lance for what felt like a week. In truth is had only been a couple of days, and then when he had finally cracked he had made his way to Lance's house and proceeded to sleep with him. _Brilliant. Just brilliant_. Shiro would have disapproved, but Shiro was an adult so he could think just whatever the hell he liked. Not only that either, but during Keith's little visit to Lance's house there had been another murder. It wasn't pretty. 

"Where the hell are you Keith? I called you 5 times in the last two hours, and you didn't pick up, didn't text-"

"Yeah, sorry about that Shiro," Keith stifles a yawn as he places a hand over his mouth and then responds further to his brothers ranting, "Who was this person identified as-"

"Narti Hazeldine, found dead about 10 o'clock this morning."

"By?" Keith stopped to zip up his jacket, the street was basically empty as he looked both ways to look who could overhear the conversation. In the corner of his eye he could spot out the media, their faces just barely visible through a cafe window. Keith made out the small look of a lense. 

"We don't know. We got tipped off by an unknown number, but we traced it to a booth which had no surveillance on it or in the nearby area," Keith made a sound of frustration, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, looks like the serial killer we've been dealing with. Same cause of death and murdered at 9 as Slav's autopsy found." Keith clicked his tongue and scrapped the end of his boot on the concrete pavement. As Keith looked out onto the street he spotted another pair, a duo with pen, paper and camera. Ugh. the sun was coming out in patches, casting a gloomy lighting upon the surface of the road as cars zoomed past doing their daily routine. _Anyone of those cars could hold the serial killer_. Just the thought sent a tingle up Keith's spine. 

"You think he's picking up his game since we're closing in on him?" Keith asked, almost hopeful despite himself, Shiro let out a breath of frustration himself. 

"Keith we've made no process on the case. There is no way that we're closing in on him." Keith started walking again this time avoiding the media by making his way down the alleyway that would lead him to the crime scene. "And Keith..."

"Yeah?"

"Please.. just be safe. The media's no please with the way things are going with this case. Families want justice done and so far they think you're doing a lazy job at it." Keith growled at the mention of it. 

"The media can think whatever the hell they like. I've read the papers this morning, so es Shiro I know what they are thinking. Anyway, it's not like they're not coming up with solutions." A sound of irritation came across the other end of the phone. 

"Keith that's your job. Not theres." 

"Yes but if they criticise it enough thinking I'm doing terribly then they can try and do it themselves." There was silence on both ends of the phones, Keith knew that Shiro would be hearing the sound of Keith's footsteps on the pavement as he made his way across alleyways and streets to get where he needed to be, he also would be hearing the defeat in his brothers voice. That Keith was ready to give up the case and hand it down to someone else. What a stain that would so to Keith's reputation. 

"I didn't help raise a quitter." 

"Please Shiro not now." Keith pleaded, almost tempted to hang up the phone. 

"No you listen. You'll find this murderer. You'll get justice for the families, just... think from a different angle."

"Don't you quote 'Big Hero 6' on me brother." 

"I'm just saying. You might be looking at it from facts. Maybe... I don't know... look at it from what isn't there." Keith froze, staring at his feet, letting the small breeze that smelled of garbage and waste tossle his hair back and forth. Keith should have worn a better jacket. After awhile of considering Keith began to walk again. 

"I'll check the files again." Keith grumbled.

"Good. Now hurry up, there's a crime scene that needs to be looked at by the investigator in charge." 

 

* * *

 

 

Once Keith considered to be a fireman. Not one of those volunteer firemen but the ones that were constantly at work battling the heat and helping others. The ones that got paid. Eventually it had become nothing but a childish notion to him, a fantasy, as the life of a detective called to him. 

But right now keith wished he had chosen to become a fireman. 

The body was... not a pretty sight. Yes the poor blind girl had been murdered in the very same way as the other victims but she had also been played with afterwards. Her body was in pieces, her insides all over the place. Her walking stick had been chucked to one side, it was obvious that the murderer had thrown it up into the tree beside the house so she couldn't get it. Keith felt himself go faint, his stomach went woozy. Who would ever do this? Keith had to lean up again the door frame as he looked into the house and upon the crime scene. Poor girl. Shiro made his way over, his hair slicked back with gel. He was trying to make an impression. Keith hoped it wasn't the big boss, because honestly no one cared if you had pretty hair, only that you were doing your job. He had disposable blue gloves on and a scarf hung loosely around his neck. 

"Keith. Nice of you to join us." Shiro greeted, his face was taunt and pale. 

"Yeah. So this is Narti?"

"Yeah, poor girl."

"And this is her house?"

"Yeah, murdered in her own foyer." Shiro commented as he looked over the foyer with his eyes. 

"Find anything?" Keith asked as he eventually made his way over to Narti's torso. 

"Nothing except if you want to include the cat." Keith raised an eyebrow. That was new, an animal lover -excluding Alfor as he didn't own the dogs, Allura did. 

 _Meow_. Keith looked down at his feet to look down at the cat that had made its way around his legs, twirling around and jumping up to rub at his knee. It was a pretty cat, as far as cats could go, and it seemed friendly enough. Keith picked it up to cuddle it, it's fur nice and soft on Keith's hands. Keith grinned at Shiro. 

"I'm guessing this poor guys not a suspect?" Keith muttered as he scratched underneath the chin. Shiro made a face of horror. 

"Keith, focus. The cat was asleep in her bed when we came, he didn't even blink twice when we barged into the room." Keith checked the name tag, and was surprised to see that the cat hadn't chewed off it's bell. 

"Kova. His name is Kova." Shiro rolled his eyes. 

"You're _awfully_ cheery. Found something to play with?" Keith almost dropped the cat in shock. He glared at his older brother as the exited the crime scene, the cat still in Keith's arms. "Ugh, Gross. At least it's not Lance." Keith decided not to correct his brother. Shiro made a face. "Is that a vanilla smell on your jacket?" Keith froze and proceeded to idly stroke the cat on the head. 

"No."

"Yes." 

"Maybe." Shiro stopped, his feet giving off a slight crunch as he went to the sudden halt on the gravel. 

"That's the exact smell I smelled after you slept with Lance." Shiro crossed his arms. "Please don't tell me-"

"I didn't." Shiro made a face. 

"Good-"

"-it was more than slept-" Keith gave Shiro a look, maybe he shouldn't test the waters this time. But he didn't stop himself from saying it, and Shiro's answer wasn't that surprising. 

"-oh god, Keith! Lance is your partn-"

"-keep it loud enough for the media to hear why don't you?" Keith retorted in anger, he had stopped stroking the cat and was now frowning at his elder brother "I can do with my body as I please." Shiro should know that was true, he had voiced the same argument with their foster parents. At the time it had been a hairstyle, the undercut that Shiro had grown into and unfortunately had suited him more than his original haircut. Later on in his years after the accident Shiro's forelock had gone from his original hair colour to white. Keith knew it wasn't just the scar that was on the top of his head that did it, but stress. It had taken Shiro awhile to get back on his feet, and with the new promotion it had almost been to much. Although Shiro would never admit it. 

Shiro's eyes hardened as his eye narrowed in on Keith, "Don't you dare use my own words against me." So he was remembering the conversation that had ended up with Shiro crying in their foster parents arms because he had won and he had felt guilty. 

"Shiro. I know it's hard to keep me under control as your little brother, but honestly I'm in the real world now. I pay taxes, buy vegetables and work a job. I can handle myself out there." Keith patted his older brother fondly on the arm, ignoring the sharp look. Shiro grimaced as he painfully and slowly removed the look from his face. 

"Fine. But if I hear that this is messing up the case I will have Lance McClain step back with helping you with this investigation and I'll confiscate your phone just to delete his number and I'll even get Matt to stop coming around so you can't ask Matt to ask Pidge how Lance is. You understand that?" Shiro grumbled, his eye now down cast "And what are you going to do with the cat anyway?" 

"Well, I was going to give it to someone so they can take care of it. Mean while I can get someone to call the loved ones and ask if they want this cat." 

"Really?" Shiro challenged, although the anger was gone and his eyes were lighter. Keith thought for a brief few moments. 

"Honestly I hope nobody wants the cat. I'm getting kind of lonely." 

 

\-----

 

**Ahh very very very short chapter.... ahhh sorry.**


	10. Chapter 10

Shiro had once expected more of Keith. No, not in the job industry... in a matter of fact Shiro knew that Keith would go high as he was academically smart, but he had expected Keith to have expectations that had to be meet, that meant Keith to have expectations to who he slept with more than once. Actually Shiro could count how many times Keith had slept with someone more than once. Twice. That's right. Twice. Keith had only slept with a boyfriend, when he was still at highschool, and now Lance. His foster parents wouldn't be pleased either because honestly they didn't like Keith sleeping around with half the gay population. Keith hadn't actually even delved into the bisexual part until now and that meant that he had tasted the possibilities, and to Shiro's dismay it was proving to be lethal. Keith was out of his mind, and the media weren't helping. 

"You seem lost." Allura grunted as she picked up another napkin from the floor. Shiro pouted before setting off helping her pick up the disregarded napkins that had been pushed off my the rodie dogs that roamed the section freely. Shiro sighed heavily before straightening and then staring off into the distance. 

"Just family crazies getting to my head. How about you?" 

"Honestly, not well. The funeral was very... saddening, nothing like what my father wanted. But because I was a suspect the remaining family toke over the funeral and I had no part in it. So there was that..." She whistled loud and clear, and not moments later Blue comes trotting in. "... and I have a party to organise." 

"Yeah but you don't have to let this party continue. Won't it look odd that you're doing this now? When you're grieving?" Allura had the decency to blush and then turn away under Shiro's curious gaze. This woman confused him to no end. 

"No. You see more people will sympathise with me.. please Shiro don't look at me like that. I know it sounds heartless but it is true. They'll feel sorry for me and so will be obliged to come and say their sorry's and farewells to my father. I could possibly earn twice as many as what we usually receive in an event similar to the one I'm planning." Allura confirmed as she then hummed and stroked Blue's ridge. 

"And is this a normal event?" Shiro asked, curious to what she was planning. A party, a grand event or whatever, and Shiro knew it was for art.. but... what? Who? 

"No. Instead I'll be inviting people who aren't just from the art industry, it'll proden my range of customers. I can invite people of wealth that haven't attended or haven't been invited before. I can invite people with little interest but with massive following, such as your brother Keith. All eyes are on him and so he's gained quite the talk-"

"Keith is trying his best," Shiro ignored the glint in Allura's eyes. Did she know something? "And I don't think he'll be that interested."

"No he won't be." She made her way to the gardens that were just beginning to wilt and die. She picked on up, it was a late bloomer and was the colour of a pretty purple. Shiro frowned. 

"Then why would-"

"He is interested in this case isn't he?" 

"Why yes-"

"Then he can have a scoop on the people who will be attending."

"But if you invite more people it would be hard for him-"

"Yes, but the people would also ween out all those art folks that will be attending. You see Shiro? The murderer will be there, not because he's planning out his victims, no I already think he's done that, no he'll be there to rub it into our faces that he hasn't been caught yet." Shiro thought for a brief few moments. 

"But what will these no arty people do? They'll just clutter up the space and be useless-"

"Nope... because I imagine that this serial killer will only be exclusive to the artist and buyers, not to the rich celebrities that will be there. So if Keith is to attend he'll be able to go in and here the gossip and pick out the most likely suspects..." Allura grinned "And anyway. You're brother hasn't socialsed in a while-"

"I'll speak with him." Allura's eyebrows went up and her eyes went all sparkly again as she turned towards him. 

"Hmmm... this is interesting." 

"What can't I ask my brother anything?"

"No. It's just that you've never been a fan of Keith going out to intwine himself with the rich and famous. So why now?" Allura stopped walking and let Blue go from the hold of her collar. Shiro didn't speak. He didn't want to speak. Allura had already heard. "So it's true. Keith is with Lance in a sexual relationship and you don't approve." Shiro felt his eye twitch. She looked bored, but her smile said that she was pleased. "Well I can tell you something now."

"What?" Shiro asked. It was more forceful than he had imagined, but rumors had certainly circulated very well. 

"Keith is hooked on Lance." Shiro gave her a bland look. 

"Tell me something I don't already know." 

"Lance is to." 

"No he's not." Shiro growled. _Keith had better no_... Shiro stopped himself. 

"Yes he is. I know Lance. He's never slept with a guy before Keith and he's never stayed around after a one night stand to go on to a two night stand. Lance is always on the move. Always searching for something better for him to satisfy his curiosity. He likes meeting new people and Keith had him hooked on the feeling of someone needing him." Allura confirmed. Shiro made a face. How did she get that conclusion out of Lance hanging around his younger brother?

"Yeah but I don't see your point." Shiro muttered. From behind him he could hear a dog coming in from behind, it was only when he came in for a scratch did he notice it was Black. 

"Shiro. Let them run their course. If they crash and burn then it wasn't meant to be. If they keep running on the train tracks then it's meant to be. Don't try and change that Shiro. You could hurt someone other than yourself." 

"I'm not hurting myself though." Shiro said with irritation.

"You are." Shiro felt his fist curl and then uncurl. 

"I beg to differ." Shiro commented as he scratched at Black's head. He sighed in relief, not Shiro but the dog, as he began to push into Shiro's hand. 

"PLease Shiro. It's keeping Lance out of trouble and Keith no doubt. Do you want him to do something stupid while he's on the case?" 

"No."

"Well then you have your answer." Shiro frowned again, his hand rested now on the dog who was beginning to lean against his leg. He let out a breath as he staggered as the dog kept leaning to far inwards. 

"Black that will do." Allura scolded as she called the dog to her leg. Black with some disinterest made his way over to stand beside her leg. He was clearly displeased about having to move as he, after being briefly scratched by Allura, went to lay on his side. Allura made a face. "Hmm and I feel... guilty... I don't know why. I mean my father was murdered in the same house I was sleeping in, and the man was dragged into my lovely gardens. How can I just not walk anywhere now knowing that this serial killer is doing everything to make it look like someone other than itself has done it." Allura commented as she played with a strand of her hair. She pouted for what felt like a hour before anyone responded. Shiro felt the awkwardness thick in the air. Not because he had regularly come to see how was she was doing, but because he still suspected her. Shiro crossed his arms. 

"How about you leave this place for awhile-"

"NO. That's definitely out of the question. I need to ready for the party-"

"Then at least leave for an hour. Clear your head. Staying at the manor is not doing you anything good, and actually as an officer of the law I am obliged to tell you that is in your best interest or I'll arrest you just so you can leave this manor." Shiro replied confidently, ignoring the look Allura gave him for being interrupted. Hey she'd been doing it all morning. Allura sighed with irritation. 

"The dogs-"

"Can come. You can take them into the city, take them to a park or something." Her nose went into the air with distaste. 

"And wave in front of everyone that I've got five expensive dogs that, to some people, are aggressive beasts that are waiting to kill them?"

"Allura. There are parks for dogs. You need to socialize them with other dogs." 

"They're plenty social." She stated, her nose still up in the air. 

"No, they've had each other for god knows how long. Anyway I think Coran wouldn't have anything against you going out of this manor for a walk at the park."

"Did he suggests this to you?" Allura asked, her eyes narrowing and then searching for the redheaded male that was wandering about. 

"No."

"Yes. He did. I know because he told me this morning that I should go out and do something else." 

"FIne he did. But I think it is in both of our interest." Shiro confirmed as he played with a wilting flower petal. She gave a grimace. 

"I can't handle these dogs when they're excited. This will surely cause a ruckus among them." Shiro thought and then gave a brief smile. 

"I can get some people to come in and help." Keith would love this. In general he liked big animals, as hippos tended to be big. He'd probably bring Lance, which the thought alone gave Shiro's gut a twist. But he shouldn't mind that. It was unfair. And Allura was right, Shiro needed to let them run their course. 

"Who? Keith? Lance?" Allura seemed to know what was running through his head. 

"Yes. As you said Keith should relax. LAnce I'm certain will need to be doing something as he is not himself at this moment."

"Won't you be coming?"

"No. I've got busines-"

"No. You've suggested this. You'll be coming." She turned on her heel and turned a corner and made her way back towards the house where the dogs were just coming out. Shiro stood there, his mouth wide open, unable to reply as he thought of all the things he could have said. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Looks at all these chickens!" Pidge shrieked from her viewpoint, a scarf wrapped around her throat. Keith glowered at her as he continued to rip off shreds of read to give to the ducks and geese that raced around everywhere as the dog chased them. Red, a small male rhodesian ridgeback, sat next to him, his eyes wide and dooey as he begged for food. This was why Keith preferred hippos. They didn't beg. They didn't slopper everywhere. They didn't chase harmless ducks across the pond. And they were so much more.... bigger and better as some would say. 

"What are you even doing here?" Keith challenged as he shuffled in his seat as he put his hand in the bag to fetch more bread. Red sniffed at the warm takeaway mug in between Keith's thighs. "And why did Shiro offer me?"

"Well. To answer your first question I came here because it's a free world and because Lance said that he'll make some garlic knots if I did come. And secondly, no not answering your second question because I actually cannot answer that because I don't know, is to ask you 'Why did you sleep with Lance again?' Hey I'm not judging, just curious." Pidge confirmed as she stomped her way back to the seat. 

"Well I needed something." 

"A distraction or you actually needed something like keys or an address?"

"A distraction." Pidge sat in silence as she sat down and reached to pat Red on the head, Keith scolded her. "Watch out for my coffee." 

"Sorry grumpy," Pidge repled defensively as she drew back and snagged a slice of bread and threw the whole slice into the pond. "Eat up my little ones. Grow and be strong." Keith felt his nose scrunch involuntarily. 

"You're so weird." 

"No. I'm not. Oh look here comes Lance." Pidge replied as she stood up to wave at him and gestured to the pond. Lance must have been over 20 meters but Keith still heard him when he yelled at the top of his lungs and gesturing with one hand. 

"Look at all these chickens!" Keith felt himself pinken as people stopped and stared at the commotion. In the corner of his eye he notices an old guy with a camera. Ugh. Lance was beaming as he approached,  four coffees were in a cheap cardboard coffee holder from McDonalds. Keith was slightly concerned as he noted that they weren't from McDonalds but were unscripted black cups that any local cafe would have, meaning Lance had them stashed somewhere. "Well it looks like Keithy boy as his coffee-"

"I can have another one." Keith muttered as Lance timidly wrapped his fingers around one and gave it to Keith. Pidge hovered at Lance's side. 

"What one's mine?" She grumbled poking at his arm with one hand and the other on the cardboard coffee cup holders with the other as she steadied them from toppling over. Lance pointed at one and with no further questions from Pidge she gently took hers to her chest and chooed. Keith might have to ask if she was drunk. Lance nodded stealthily at Shiro, who's back was up against a tree, his feet in the damp soil and his shoes tied together just on the ground beside Black. 

"Here you go Shiro. I know you order straight up tequila but Hunk suggested that it won't be healthy for this time of the day. So I asked around and got your usual." Lance commented as Shiro gave him a look of disdain. Pidge huffed and then made a weird sound as she fumbled with the lid of her coffee. Keith ignored her and settled for the option that she was wasted and probably won't remember this tomorrow. Shiro made a face. 

"Next time Lance, remember that it's happy hour somewhere in the world." Lance gave a small curtsy that seemed practiced and elegant as he placed himself beside Keith. His legs brushed up against Keith's sending the all to familiar memory of how Lance's legs felt when they were unclothed. Keith felt himself throb, so bunched his fingers into a fist as he tried to will away the thoughts. Keith didn't want a erection in public for the first time, especially when he was on a case and when media were following him like crazy. Keith could only imagine the headlines. 'Keith Kogane is _Ko_ oing?' Keith almost let out a breath of a laugh, more nervous than because he was funny. Yeah definitely something he didn't want. Shiro made a sound from behind, interrupting Keith's thoughts of worry. 

"Is Katie drunk?" Shiro asked. LAnce shrugged. 

"Yeah maybe. She's a lightweight can't stand anything past 3 drinks of normal beer," Lance confirmed. "And I did hear that it was Colleen's birthday, so that's where I am tonight instead of organizing this party for Allura." 

"Hmm, and she's already wasted?"

"Yeah. Matt can't attend tonight so Pidge helped drink his misery away. Matt was looking forward to seeing his mum turn 45 but he got a call in saying that he was needed to perform a presentation of sorts up north. It was either that or they organization was losing a faction." Lance muttered. Pidge finally was successful at removing the lid and was now placing her cup gently on the ground as she licked at the lid. "Yeah don't mind her. When she gets a hot chocolate she usually licks the foam off and then digs out the marshmallows before drinking it." A dog, Green, raced up and over Pidge as she raced after another goose. 

"Is anyone going to tell the dogs to stop?" Shiro asked, clearly not interested in yelling at someone else's dogs.

"Why did you let Allura go shopping and let her leave these animals with us?" Keith asked, irritated. He had work to do. Shiro clicked his tongue and gave Keith a long look. 

"How about we leave them for awhile and get something to eat." LAnce shook his head, his beaning moving slightly up his forehead. 

"That's already taken care of. Hunk's on his way with some things from Shay's cafe." Shiro sighed as he went back to resting. 

"Well he's taking his time." 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh so there is a bit of uhhh........ smut here, although it's probably not even that good as it is.... just warning just in case there's people out there that don't read that type of stuff.

How did we end up here? Lance couldn't even remember how they had ended up in the spare bed at the Holt's house on Colleens birthday. One minute Keith wasn't invited, and then he was. One minute Keith was sitting awkwardly at the table with a drink in one hand and food in the other and then they were chatting. One minute they were helping each other up the stairs as they were both too drunk to return home and then they were having sex. 

Lance let out a moan as his thoughts trailed back to the present. Keith was grinning down at him, his lips puffy from kissing. "Do you always over think things?" He asked as his lips brushed up against Lance's neck. I jolt went through Lance as Keith pressed his hand up against him and gently traced one of his fingers down. Lance made a face at Keith. 

"Usually not but I'm wondering how we got here again." Lance could feel Keith smirk against his skin as he gently let his teeth go against Lance's flesh. 

"Well stop wondering. You like a limp fish." Lance thought for a moment, his head going to one side so Keith could have better access to the skin there. Keith's knee was at Lance's groin, Lance felt his heartbeat quicken. 

"Obviously I'm not. You're feeling me right now," Keith let out a breathy laugh, his hand still tracing slowly against Lance. Lance let out an irritated sighed as he shifted against Keith. "Come on." Lance felt his own body shift, not clearly impressed with the pace they were going at. Keith looked up, his face now down at Lance's belly button, his lips had left kisses down from his neck to his stomach, and finally Keith was staring back at him, a grin on his face as he dipped his head in between Lance's legs. A sound escaped Lance. It was more of a sigh than a moan, the tension in Lance's stomach eased as Keith lips continued to trace up and down Lance's length. Lance let his head drop back to rest on the pillow, his hands found their way to Keith's soft hair. Keith's breath was hot against his skin as he took Lance into his mouth. 

"You like.. uh-" Lance stopped as he moaned and tugged at Keith hair. Lance hoped that hurt. "- do you think they-" Lance sighed again his voice hoarse from the little pleasure that Keith was allowing him "-will hear... _ugh_... us?" Keith hummed as a reply causing for Lance to curse softly under his breath, his eyes rolling and his body on fire as he trembled. Keith laughed, his throat vibrating as he did so. "You need... _ugh_.. to stop doing that. I'll be gone before you start." Where had Lance's flirt personal gone? In truth Lance isn't one to talk dirty in bed, no he tended to be more simplistic. It was too hard to think of a reply when you were currently being sucked by a pretty experienced guy down below. Keith again smirked as he stopped and looked up at Lance. 

"You look pretty far gone to me." Keith remarked. Lance was breathing heavy, he could barely see Keith over his chest. Lance could make out his eyes, all serious with the underlying playfulness that Lance only seemed to see when he was flirting or in the midst of sex. 

"Just get on with it Kogane." Keith moved up to look at Lance in the face, his fingers at Lance's mouth. 

"Suck." Lance let out a sound before taking Keith's agile fingers into his mouth. Keith indicated for Lance to let go. 

"I can't believe you forgot lube." Lance gave a glare at Keith. 

"Well I wasn't really planning of having sex tonight." Keith replied with some sarcasm as his fingers made there way down and gently traced his fingers around the entrance to Lance. Keith looked down and then back up. "I'm ready when you say you are." Keith remarked, Lance bent his head upwards to look at Keith. 

"Yeah go digging-" Lance let out a breath of fright as Keith suddenly pushed his fingers in. "Eager are we?" Lance muttered, his cheeks reddening as Keith began to work him. Keith pouted as he looked at Lance one more time, a meaningful look. 

"You want me to go in dry?" Keith asked as he sat back, his unzipped jeans revealed Keith's erection, proud and great in width. Why all the foreplay when Keith couldn't go in right now? Lance didn't even know why. But somehow he knew it was because they had forgotten in there excitement and lust that Keith would have to be prepared as well. It almost embarrassed Lance to look at it, but then again he had seen it more than once so with some grace Lance went to his elbows. With some of Lance's ego back in place, Lance gently pulled Keith towards him as Lance got to his knees. Without further ado, Lance took Keith into his mouth hesitant, uncertain how he should proceeded. Well it had never come to this so Lance hadn't actually done anything like this to a guy before. "You know it just has to be wet. I don't mind if you don't know what you're doing." Lance felt himself flush with embarrassment. "Anyway we can save that for another time." Lance felt his body ache with just the thought. His body was on a whirlwind of emotions and Lance's wasn't sure his body would ever forgive him.

Keith's hand was in Lance's hair as he tried to do his best, but honestly Lance didn't know how some people could take the whole thing. Yes Lance had a gag reflex, something he hadn't known until now and so when he tried to go further his eyes watered and his throat let out a strangled chock. Keith snorted. "Seriously?" Lance dropped Keith from his mouth. 

"Shut up." _I'm not experienced as you_. Keith looked amused as he gestured for Lance to get on his back. Once Lance was on his back Keith moved himself over top of Lance to prepare him again, this time more slowly. One finger and then two, Lance felt himself shift as his body adjusted and Keith quickened his pace only slightly, his fingers angling in certain ways. Lance let out a breathy moan, something that sprung forth unexpected, and causing for keith to grin as he adjusted his fingers again and went over the same spot. 

"Last time I couldn't find it with my fingers." Lance felt Keith's heartbeat as he rested his chest against Lance's so he could study Lance's reactions further as he explored that same spot. Another moan escaped him and Keith settled in between Lance's legs, his face pressed together in concentration. "Tell me when you're ready." Lance took three breaths before replying with a nod and a short curt reply. Keith cock gently brushing against his entrance. 

"Yes." Lance's heart was racing, his body ached and trembled as Keith continued to touch him. Keith entered slowly, his body barely moving as he struggled to contain himself against Lance's tight walls. Keith let out a shaky breath as he gently went all the way in. He waited for Lance to speak. To say anything that would indicate if Lance wanted to proceed further. "Go... keep... at it." Lance muttered, his cheeks flushed. Keith looked up to give Lance a quick kiss, his eyes black and his hair disheveled. At least he wasn't the only one not affected from what was happening. Keith began to move, slow at first, not even enough to make Lance move in discomfort but enough to start causing friction. 

"Are you in pain?" Keith asked his breath at Lance's neck as he continued his slow pace. Lance felt himself tighten and untighten around Keith, maybe Keith thought he was?

"No. Just weird... like the usual." 

"Good." Keith muttered as he began to quicken his pace, his skin gently beginning to press Lance closer to him. Lance was the first to let out a moan, and encouraged Keith decided to go further a moan escaping him in turn as the pace quickened. Keith was beginning to moan frequently as Lance began to meet his thrusts, as he grew in confidence. Lance let himself hook his legs around Keith waist, letting Keith remain deeper within him. Lance's own cock was aching horribly, his hand forgot Keith's neck to which they had found themselves and were now trailing downward. Keith grunted as he swatted Lance's hand away and placed his hand there instead, his hand moving in time with them. Lance moaned, more high pitched and throaty than he had ever done before. _Ugh_. A strange sound escaped Keith, and without stopping they began to laugh together. They're sides heaved from the effort of laughing and moving, sweat trickled and rubbed between them.

"That was a strange sound." Lance remarked with little breath, Keith moaned in response as he quickened his pace once more. Pleasure took hold, making Lance forget everything and for his head to hit the pillow. Sounds escaped both of them, encouraging each other to continue. Lance could feel his end coming, his nerves gaining sensitivity as he embraced the feeling. Against Keith's hand, Lance could feel himself throb, his hands frantic. It could only mean one thing. Keith was close, and he wanted Lance over first. 

As he usually did. 

"First to cum has to buy the other one lunch tomorrow." Keith rasped in Lance's ear as he chewed. Lance let out a mewl, a pathetic sound that only seemed to rile Keith further. A moan escaped Lance, and it continued as Lance trembled and he released into Keith hand. Lance continued to hold onto Keith as he kept moving, Lance whined from his over sensitive nerves. Soon Keith released within Lance, his face dripping with sweat as he gently rested on Lance's chest. They were both breathing hard, they're mouths open for air, and their limbs sluggish. Keith was the first to speak. "I guess that means you're buying me lunch." Lance let out a breathy laugh as a bang sounded on the wall. Lance had forgotten, Pidge slept next door. Keith pulled out gently. 

"Guys I'm glad that you're enjoying yourselves but please keep it to a minimum." A muffled voice called. Keith managed a groan as a reply, whether she heard him or not was unknown as Pidge entered the room soon after without announcing herself first. They didn't bother to move or cover themselves. Pidge looked traumatized.

"Don't look at us like that, you walked in here." Lance remarked as he drapped his arm around Keith's back, still wet with sweat. 

"Yes but you should be glad that Hunk is out to it. You would have scared him." 

"He's seen plenty," Lance muttered and Pidge made a sound. "Why are you up anyway?"

"I was throwing up. Not that you guys didn't notice, too busy with yourselves." Keith snickered. 

"Ah, the joys of being hungover." 

"Hmmm.... anyway I'll be regretting this in the morning but enjoy and keep it to a minimum, Shiro's asleep on the couch so you don't want to wake him." And with that Pidge left, closing the door behind her. Keith nuzzled into Lance's chin, seeking for a croak to put his head in. 

"Did you friend just tell us to enjoy ourselves?" Keith asked his lips seeking once more. Lance felt his legs widen on their own accord. 

"Yes I think so, but I think she wants us to tone down a bit." Lance mumbled as Keith lips seeked his for a long tongue filled kiss. Lance was breathing hard by the end of it. 

"Well I think we should enjoy ourselves further. Don't you think? Maybe I could teach you how to give a decent-" Lance cut him off with a kiss, and as a reply his hand trailed to Keith's cock. They both smiled into the kiss as Lance continued to stroke him. "-well let's get cracking. Can't keep Pidge up for that long." 

 

* * *

 

 

Pidge had never regretted a decision in her life. Not even that time when she had hacked into her brothers computer to discover all the things that most grownup men had on their personal devices, Pidge had been 10, and she had only wanted to blackmail her older brother. It hadn't worked out well. She had been scolded by her parents for doing such a thing, and Matt hadn't even got a light telling off. It was only later in life that PIdge discovered that it wasn't a big deal after all. That most often than not, people of varying ages, genders, cultures, religions and sexualities discovered porn in their lifetime. But walking in after her best friend had just had sex? Well this seemed a bit more scary than she had cared to admit. 

_Sorry._

**You should be. Knowing about it and hearing it are to completely different things.**

_Well you did choose to walk in._

**Yeah, I guess. But right now I'm regretting even knowing you because I do not need to know that you're buying Keith lunch tomorrow because he lasted longer than you.**

_Opps, were we really that loud. I thought Keith whispered that into my ear. Sorry._

**Yeah yeah. You owe me one. Just remove the sheets tomorrow morning will yay. Mumma Holt don't need to know that the famous Keith Kogane and the boy she's known since my childhood were having sex in her spare bed. It'll scare poor Mumma Holt.**

_She's be disappointed. Wasn't it her that told me to have safe sex after she found out I had sex for the first time?_  

 **Yeah. You cried because you thought she was going to scold you.** Pidge snickered as she drew the blankets to her face.

_Mumma Holt can be scary._

**Are you finished?** Minuted passed before Lance replied again.

_Yeah. Do you need anything my spewy friend?_

**Nah. Hunk's out to it, snoring actually on my airbed.**

_Fun fact for you. Keith doesn't snore loudly. He breath deeply, quite cute._

**Is that your heart racing? Could Lance possibly be McClaimed by the boy he wasn't meant to even see more than once?**

_No. I'm stating facts_. The door opened to reveal Lance standing at the door, his flashlight shining in on the room. He had a drink in his hand and a water bottle in the other as he trotted carefully over to Pidge's bed. A sheepish grin appeared on his face, his eyes reflecting the light. "I brought you some things." Lance replied as he moved over next to Pidge and placed the drink on the bedside table. "Do you want me to rub your tummy?" Lance asked in a childish voice. Pidge laughed lightly, so not to wake Hunk. 

"Nah. I don't know where those dirty hands have been." Lance scolded her as he lay down and placed the hot water bottle on her stomach, he rubbed it anyway. Childhood memories flooded back. 

"I showered briefly in that ensuite. Couldn't go to sleep with everything-"

"-please no details." 

"Keith showered if that's okay." Lance muttered, his hand still rubbing gently. Pidge felt her eyes go heavy, and suddenly she felt like a child again. How many times had her mother done the exact same thing? How many times had Lance done this exact same thing? Many, as far as Pidge's memories went. Soon Pidge went to sleep, the feeling of her tummy eased enough for her to go into a sleep. 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Cluedo, or Clue, is an older version as that is basically the only version I know, so sorry of it's not the weapons or rooms that you're use to.

Keith was dreaming about pastries. All flaky at nice, according to his dream they were the best in the world and the people that always bought them always died. So a pleasant dream turned into a nightmare, where he was the one being chased and taunted by the murderer, and somehow it all made sense that Keith was to blame. In dreams it's usually like that, running for no apparent reason except that you had done something so small that was somehow illegal. Keith knew it must have been the alcohol as soon as he woke. His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room, and the automatic clock showed 2:30 am. Keith swallowed and turned onto his side to face Lance, who was alight from the slither of light from the streetlight that was making its way through the curtain. Lance's  face was relaxed and soft. His hair was just over his eyes, it must itch, Keith thought, whose hair was too long to even get in his eyes. Lance stirred and shuffled in closer, seeking Keith's heat. He mumbled something, Keith could only make the word 'Cluedo' out. Do people dream about board games? Keith let Lance cuddled to his chest, his face now pressed against his chest. Lance's long legs were thrown over Keith's, Keith could feel Lance's shins move and then eventually his toes as Lance bent his knees to see Keith's body warmth. Lance's eyes opened, a moment of awkward silence came and left before both of them could comprehend the moment. Lance smiled softly at him. 

"What time is it?" 

"2:30 in the morning." Lance gave a light chuckle that spoke many levels of sleepiness to Keith. 

"Well you'd think I'd sleep like a bloody rock based on last night's activities," He huffed as he drew back his head to look at Keith, his eyes narrowed only slightly, "How did I become the little spoon?" Keith kissed Lance's head gently, his hands seeked Lance's smooth back as he traced random patterns on them. 

"Well you did come in for cuddles." Keith muttered. 

"Ugh, well let's switch positions. Based off my height I should be big spoon,"  Lance grumbled as he attempted to roll onto Keith's other side. Keith grabbed Lance by the shoulder, keen on embarrassing or at least fluster Lance once more. With Lance being sleepy it was easy enough to get Lance underneath him. Keith grinned down at Lance as he straddled him. Lance's eyes were wide and dark from what Keith could make out, he was breathing hard as he shifted slightly to get a better position to lay on. "Do you ever sleep?" Lance asked, his fingers grazed the edge of Keith's underwear, the other hand caressed the bottom of Keith's back. I sigh escaped Keith as Lance's hand dipped into Keith's underwear. 

"No. Sleep is for the weak." Lance gave a sly smile as he began to trace his long fingers along Keith. He went in for a kiss, brief but suggested more. 

"Then I'm very weak." A knock came at the door just as they went in for another kiss. 

"Hey Lance and Keith uhh, are you awake?" Came Pidge's voice from the other side. Lance smiled as he stole another kiss. 

"That's debatable." Lance answered. Pidge sighed. 

"I could hear you talking and I was wondering if you'd play Cluedo." Pidge grumbled, Keith felt his eyebrows go to his hairline. Hadn't Lance said something earlier? 

"At 2:..3..." Lance looked over at the clock, "5?"

"Ah yeah." Lance tabbed Keith on the shoulder. 

"Have you been spewing?"

"Nah I've been dancing on rainbows." 

"OKay I'm coming out." Lance winked at Keith who was now stretching sitting up, his back arching as he attempted to hear his back pop. Lance made his way to a radom shirt to put it on. "You want to play?" 

"Why-"

"Come on. Hunk's probably up with Shiro. Seriously he's a big guy but he can't hold his liquor. None of us can." Lance was out of the room before Keith could respond. His mouth opened and then closed, as he searched for any pants. He found Lance's, and as his eyes strained against the dim light, Keith gave up. He put them on and wasn't surprised to have them tight and longer than Keith wore, Lance did like to show his legs in a way, Keith noted with some amusement as he made his way back to the kitchen. Lance had been right, Hunk was awake, a dressing gown over his shoulders as he read through the instructions of Cluedo. Shiro sat blinking, half dazed as he stared at the one light in the room, a coffee in one hand. Pidge was in summer pj's, green and with frilly bits on her shorts, and then there was Lance, only dressed in underwear and a shirt. Although Keith knew he probably didn't look better with just misfitted jeans on. Hunk squinted to look at Keith. 

"Hey. Lance got you out of bed?" Hunk asked, he rubbed at his eyes before laying down the instructions and then getting out the pieces. 

"No. I was awake. But I don't understand why you are all up." Keith grunted as he took a seat at the table. Shiro shrugged. 

"I heard Hunk going about and I wanted coffee so here I am." Shiro muttered. Pidge grinned. 

"And you already know why I'm here." 

"Yeah a lightweight apparently." Keith replied, in one hand he took a piece of the game into his hand to study it. Shiro scoffed. 

"I'd hope so. Pidge is 5 foot with barely anything on her. I would be disappointed if she overtook Hunk."

"Haha. Okay everyone you're in-" Shiro began to protest, obviously he had been to more than one Holt occasion. "-Shiro I can't be bothered bickering with you so you're playing. Maybe if you play nice you can pick the person you want to be." 

"Professor Plum. I want to be him." Shiro called as he dragged a chair from the sitting room into the kitchen. Pidge snorted. 

"I'll be Mr. Green, 'cause that's my favourite colour." Pidge stated simply as she snatched the game piece. 

"I'll be Colonel Mustard." Hunk commented sleepily as he slowly grabbed his own piece. 

"I'll be Mrs. Peacock, she's rich... isn't she?" Lance asked as he wearily grabbed his own piece. Keith stood there as everyone turned to him, waiting for what he was going to be. 

"Uhhhh...." 

"Well?" Asked Lance as he fiddled with his piece. Keith made a face. 

"How do you play?" Everyone seemed to blink, and then is was accommodated by Pidge's low screech. 

"You what?" Not one of them flinched from Pidge's out burst. "This game is basically a classic."

"Actually no. Senet, or Chess are classics both of which date back many many years-" Keith cut himself off, as Shiro waved a hand in the air. 

"Keith tell them the approx date of each release." Keith felt himself go red, this was it. This was Keith's time to shine on random facts of human history. 

"Well Senet was an Ancient Egyptian thing, so basically 3300 years BC and Chess was first introduced 6th century, so 500 years AD," Lance snorted loudly. "And you know what? Monopoly is older than Cluedo, it was released in 1935," Keith crossed his arms. "So sorry if I think- no- know that's Cluedo is not a classic." Keith stared down at them, glad for his knowledge of random facts that at one point had made up Keith's life. Lance was the first to react. 

"How they hell?"

"It was a game that me and Shiro use to play. We'd find a topic and the person who found out and could recall the most random facts of the topic won." Pidge was pale and starting, a burp escaped her. 

"That's didn't taste good," Pidge muttered, "But anyway, Board Game nerd, tell me what character you are."  

"What's the characters left?"

"Miss Scarlet and Mrs. White." 

"Ugh. Miss Scarlet." Keith grumbled. Lance beamed at him. 

"Nice choice." Pidge began to ramble on about the rules and objectives of the game. 

"OKay so for those who don't know what the game is about I will tell you that this game is about one that this is a game where each player tries to figure out three main facts of a murder which is the murderer, the location and the murder weapon. They do this by having their characters run around a mansion and gather evidence. Now you move around by rolling two die, and obviously it reveals how many squares you can move across. Now-" Pidge poked out her tongue as she randomly selected three random card from three random piles and put them in an envelope, "These are the three things we're trying to find out. Now I'll deal out the rest of theses cards for the rest of us, once you get your cards write down the ones you've got- don't let anyone look at it- as they aren't apart of the murder, so it's a few things checked off your list." Pidge cleared her throat but Shiro continued for her. 

"Miss Scarlet always starts, and lets say Keith that you suggest Hunk, who is Colonel Mustard as you move into the lounge area, of killing the person in the Lounge, with a dagger. Hunk's character will be moved there and to you left someone will show you a card that you had suggested, it keep going until someone shows you a card. You've got it Keith?" Shiro asked. Keith nodded as he inspected his cards that Pidge had handed over to him. 

"If only a murder case was actually this easy." Keith grumbled as he ticked off the cards he had. Lance grinned at him as he handed the die over to Keith. 

"Yeah well, usually there is more people involved in a murder case. In a game you only have six suspects." Keith snorted.

"Yeah and I've got the whole art industry." The room went quiet as everyone continued to cross theirs off and look at the board in contemplation. Shiro sighed. 

"Well Keith I forgot to mention. You're invited to the art venue this Saturday." 

"What?" Keith asked, suddenly interested in what Lance had to say. 

"Yeah. Allura suggested it, says that maybe you'll feel the art flare." Lance looked down at his cards before saying anything else, his cheeks slightly pink. Interesting. Hunk made a sound. 

"I'm going to waste you all." 

"Don't you start work this Monday?" Keith asked, Hunk nodded enthusiastically. 

"Yeah, but I've already worked some shifts," Hunk replied as he tabbed his game piece on the board and then put it in its place. "And so it begins."

 

Keith found out that he sucked at this game. Not only because he always asked the wrong questions but because clearly the others had had practice. One round down with Miss Scarlet, with a knife and in the Library and now they were on there second round. Hunk seemed to be inwardly imploding, his eyes bulging as he tried to suse out the murderer before anyone else. Keith couldn't help but relate. In real life something like this couldn't be fun or even easy, usually there were more suspects, more murder weapons (depending upon the type of weapon used) and more often than not the murder happened in the same room that the body was discovered in.

 _Except for Rolo's body_ , a voice helpfully reminded him. He was found dead in Allura's garden, but according to Allura the body hadn't been there before. Some say that he was murdered there, while other suggest otherwise. _The dogs would have discovered it sooner_ , some critics wrote in the paper not a few days after the news hit media like a sledgehammer, _dogs are known for having a keen sense of smell so if the body had been there earlier to when_ Allura Altea _found it, the dogs would have sniffed it out earlier and most likely have eaten it. Our thoughts are with Allura and her family._ Some critics even went onto write: _Allura is guilty, a anonymous man posted on Facebook earlier today upon the article posted by_ Daily Times _that morning_. ' _She has known to have banter with the man murdered at the Altean Manor 9 o'clock on Tuesday morning and had made it quite clear of her displeasure_.' _, the man wrote_. Keith had even had his moment of fame in that article. ' _Can famed Keith Kogane get any dumber? I call for Keith to have his license taken away from him and for another more_ professional _investigator to take his place on this investigation as everyone knows that Keith probably has personal ties to the boy murdered_.' 

Keith had screamed at the article. _Was he only known for sleeping around? Did they not trust him?_  

Keith blinked, ignoring the prowling thoughts that rampaged through his mind at a million miles per hour. It was so unfair. Lance was singing softly to himself, a Spanish song that Keith couldn't understand, but he go the gist of the beat and was able to tab his fingers on the table to the rhythm. Lance smiled at him as he moved his person across the board to the Dining Room. "I suggest Colonel Mustard-" Lance grabbed Hunk's character and placed him beside himself, "With the candlestick and obviously in the Dining Room." Lance commented, clearly pleased with himself. Hunk snorted. 

"Seriously in the Dining Room, can you get anymore original?" Hunk asked and Lance let out a laugh. 

"No," Lance replied as he waited for any cards to flash at him. Keith flashed him Colonel Mustard and Lance let out a sigh. "I'm nowhere close." Pidge then made a move. 

"Well I suggest that it's in the Dining Room, with Professor Plum with a lead pipe." Keith winched. 

"That would hurt like a bitch." Shiro nodded gloomily. 

"I can agree to that, I've been hit with one and that was enough for me." Shiro moved his character and rested his head on his chin, his coffee forgotten as he watched carefully what type of cards were being flashed by everyone, and Keith knew that Shiro was summing up what cards everyone had as he marked down a few cards here, and some cards there. Keith had an uneasy feeling that Shiro was going to win. 

A few more dice were rolled and Shiro made his way to the center of the board. "I accuse Mrs. Peacock, in the Kitchen with the revolver." Shiro beamed as he quickly took the envelope and looked at the cards, a grin dashed across his face and lance let out a strangled cry. 

"Why? How? I hadn't even narrowed down the weapons yet." 

"That's because you suck and aren't observing enough." Shiro crowed loudly as he pointed out his tongue. Keith sighed as he dropped his cards onto the table. Mrs. Holt entered the room, her hair tangled as she squinted at the scene in front of her. 

"I see that you're being a responsible adult Shiro," She muttered as she drew the grey dressing gown closer to her. Shiro grinned. 

"Well they dragged me into it." Shiro accused, Pidge made a face. 

"Well he didn't have to play another round." Pidge grunted, since she had started playing colour had returned to her cheeks and she looked lively and full of life. The opposite to what Keith felt. Right now he could easily fall asleep. Colleen smiled at them all. 

"Well how about you all get a couple hours rest. We've all got work tomorrow so you all have to have some hours of sleep." She scolded the lot of them, her face softened. "Anyway you can carry on later in the morning..." she checked the clock above the kitchen window, "Well it is only 3:30, so get maybe 2 or 3 hours." And off she went back to her own bed. Shiro grinned once more as he looked ready to boast. 

"Yeah Mumma Holt is right kiddos. Time to sleep and mull over how much you guys are losers," Shiro confirmed as he began to shoo everyone away from the kitchen, the lounge was a glow from the lighting. Shiro called Keith over as he made his way over to the couch where pillows and blankets were thrown everywhere. "Keep it PG aye? Katie told me about earlier last night." 

"When did you become so accepting-"

"Allura spoke a few words to me... she inspired me in a way," Shiro patted Keith on the shoulder, "And you know what? That game gave me a clue to the murder case," Keith snorted and gestured for his brother to go on. " We need to start looking at what isn't there. You know? Ticking off the clues we already have and then trying to find the clues we don't have." 

"Yeah I think we've already tried-"

"No I know you've tried that with bank accounts and similar numbers on a screen Keith, but what if you do that with something else. Surely this serial killer can't be that to neat and tidy. None of them are," Shiro sighed and patted Keith on the shoulder once more before gesturing to the spare bedroom. "And I can't believe Mrs. Holt let you sleep in the same bed," He shook his head and grinned once more. "Oh and Keith. Sleep well." 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of mix and match characters in this chapter, as eventually friends are made. Sorry this is a bit short.

Allura didn't know what was happening, but she was thinking that maybe it was a... good thing? It was Saturday night; people in gowns, tuxedos, and their best wear, where milling around, their faces alight, but their eyes darting to and fro. They weren't looking at the paintings but at those who were gathered around them, at those who stood outside the doors waiting for someone they knew. Allura looked down at herself once more hoping that what she saw was what they saw. A woman in a white gown that swept elegantly to the floor, a golden arm bracelet that twirled around her arm in a laurel indicating her father's wealth, golden heels, that specifically made her taller, and her hair in a loose coil about her head. Lance was staring at her, his mouth slightly ajar as he made his way over to help her in a gentleman way down the stairs. Everyone tonight would know that he was her most trusted guest, aside from Coran.

Coran was at a door, dressed in a tuxedo that made him look more butler than friend. Keith was waiting at a table, his face impassive as he looked out on to the crowd, his eyes disinterested. Lance cleared his throat as he extended his arm to her. "Would you like help down Allura?" He asked, he had closed his mouth and was now assuming the role of a close friend, not an admirer. Lance smiled softly as Allura took her arm and guided her down the stairs. "You look stunning Allura." Lance complemented, his face still slightly tight with the smile. 

"I was hoping that maybe someone wouldn't see the girl I am. That I can ascend to the role my father left me." Allura commented, ignoring the look Nyma was giving her. At the moment Allura knew she must look like a cow, as some people would say. Tall, elegant, rich and only accepting contact with the pretty boys. In truth though, Allura knew that Nyma was just keeping an eye out for her life. Anyone who was a suspect was a much as a threat to her than anyone else. Keith stood up to greet her. 

"Allura. I was wondering when you would show up." He muttered, his eyes searching hers. Allura was startled to see that his eyes were a deep shade of grey with hints of ... _purple_. That couldn't be. People didn't have purple eyes. Eyes that someone could paint. Allura just smiled as she took Keith's hand into her own and shook it. 

"I'm glad that you could come. And at such a short notice." 

"Don't think it over to much." Keith stated as he placed his hands behind his back. He was wearing a tuxedo with a pin to it, a pin that Lance had placed to make sure that no one got the wrong idea of a cop being around. 

"How do you find that paintings." 

"Not my thing-" Lance elbowed him as he went to his side and took Keith's hand. Keith went still for only a brief few moments. "-they're lovely." Keith coughed out once more. Allura tugged at Keith's pin. 

"Well you are Lance's date. Can't say that in front of him."  Allura winked at him and Keith blanched. _Won't this just making the rumors worse?_ A small voice whispered in her head. Lance grinned at Allura once more. It wasn't a fake smile that Allura had thought would appear, no, it was genuine. Allura bide her goodbyes to them both and made her way through the crowd. Next up. Haggar. 

 

* * *

 

 

Pidge was seriously considering on defriending Lance prompto. Not because he was clearly avoiding his duties to the Holt Co. because he seriously had, but because he had made her attend the damn party. Not for anything in particular, he had stated, just so you can keep an eye out if there's anything fishy going on. Right you aren't Lance, Pidge wanted to scream, she was doing that and music. Not the upbeat pop, hip hop of this generation but the classical shit that you expected from someone at the age 150. Pidge was going to cry from boredom. 

Hunk was seated next to her, twiddling his thumbs nervously as he looked down on the crowd. He had brought baking in good faith, and right now all of it was gone. It had made Pidge's stomach ache, but she would deal with it. Maybe she could throw up on the pretty heads down below? Hunk sighed beside her as he went in for another snack. Pidge glowered at him. "Hunk. Your stress eating." 

"I am not," Hunk grumbled as he shoved a palm size eclair into his mouth. "I'm enjoying the rich people food." Pidge made a face. 

"It tastes to expensive," Pidge stated in a matter-of-fact tone that she often donned to annoy people. "And obviously your food taste better and that's why I'm currently queasy in my stomach because the bloody peanut cookies on hand were to rich and yours were just perfect, currently they're having a stomach war," Pidge sheathed. How could anyone destroy something so beautiful? "I think the rich food's winning though, although it won't matter both will be coming back up." A small burp erupted from Pidge's mouth. 

"Well try to keep it in. We're on a job here." 

"Yeah and nothing seems to be happening." Pidge grumbled as she checked the computer screens one more time beside her. They were on a balcony that overlooked the 'ballroom', and it was designed for tech members and the works, creating a perfect perch to well perch on. Pidge glowered down at the crowd, her stomach tight and about to flip. 

"Relax Pidge. Are you scared that maybe someone will pull you up?" Of course. But no one will now that. _They'd just think that I've eaten something bad_. Compared to the rich people below she looked like a street rat. "Well don't worry. You'll be fine." Hunk encouraged. 

"I agree," Lance greeted, his head popping out from the door, he had a pinned white rose to his tuxedo, it was identical to Keith's. Pidge snorted softly to herself as Keith came up clumsily behind Lance, his hair a mess. "Your dress looks like you." Lance commented as he sat himself down beside her. Pidge begged to differ. Not because she was looking or petty attention, no because she clearly had eyes. There dresses were made of the finest material, the prettiest of colours, while Pidge's looked like-

"Pidge welcome," Allura greeted as she came up to say hello. Pidge turned her eyes to look at her and her stomach done a roll. She turned to Hunk and began to chat to him. Pidge needed to use the bathroom now. Or else she's be spewing over everyone's shoes. That wouldn't do her well among the rich folk. Pidge excused herself. And made her way to a bathroom that was unoccupied and far away from the party guests. That what was good about these manors, they had plenty of bathrooms. Why did Lance invite her? Why was she needed? A knock came at the door. "Pidge are you okay? Do you need a glass of water?" Allura asked, her voice muffled from the door. "I can get something to help relieve the stomach acid." Again another knock. 

"Uh. I'm fine." Pidge assured Allura as she heaved once more over the toilet seat. Allura made a sound as she leaned against the doors. 

"Please Pidge. Is there anything you need. It's alright if you feel out of place-" _It's not okay_. " -I do to. I mean this is my house, but none of the guests are really friends to me. Lance did mention earlier that you get nervous at big, uh social events such as these," Pidge facepalmed as she thought over again why she wanted to unfriend Lance once more. "Please don't be angry at him. He's most fond of you, and as a friend to Lance that makes you a friend to me." Allura continued. Pidge could hear her sit down. "I've never had any friends that are women. Homeschooled. My father didn't want me going away to attend some fancy rich kids school so Coran homeschooled me. I never had many friends and so when Lance asked if he could bring you along to keep an eye out for things I thought 'Maybe I can find a friend in Pidge?'," Allura laughed,"Of course at the time I was confused as I didn't know anyone called 'Pidge' and I thought it was much like a boys name." Pidge felt her stomach roll again, shame coiling in her gut. 

There was silence. It was Allura that broke the silence first. 

"Do you at least need something?" She sounded defeated. Pidge decided it was now or never to create a friend out of Allura. 

"Well I like peanut butter and I like peanut butter cookies but I hate peanuts. They're so dry." Internally Pidge was screaming at herself. _When someone wants to befriend you they don't want to know right away about the peanut butter fetish_. Allura laughed. 

"I guess that's you way of say that you agree to be friends?" Do people usually have this awkward conversation with a rich lady about being friends? Do people in general have conversation about being friends? Pidge didn't have enough friends to know, but the friends she had she knew they just kind of stuck when they arrived. 

"I guess." Pidge grumbled before throwing up. 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Lance couldn't breath. His head was swimming, his eyes blurry as tears raced to his eyes. Blood rushed by his ears making it hard to hear, his murderer had him. Allura's pool was aglow with blue lights, debris, such as glitter and confetti, danced on the surface, from what Lance could remember seeing. Surely he wouldn't die here? Near a pool? Maybe the murderer would make it look like he had drowned.  Lance kicked out, the hands vice like on Lance's throat as he kicked in any direction he could. His vision was beginning to go spotty. Wait. He needed to call for help. Surely out of the hundreds of people there someone would hear him. 

Where was Keith? He was meant to be here. They were meant to be discussing the next moments alone... Lance felt his eyes bulge as his lungs screamed. No! No! He would not die like this..

 

**_Not 1 hour prior.._ **

 

_Lance was dancing. Not a pretty dance as it mostly consisted of some jerky turns to the beat of the music that Pidge had changed after she an enquired about it. Needless to say it had made the party much better. Keith had remained seated for the better part of the night, his eyes hooded from watching people dance, and for those who looked at the paintings. Of course this was a new attachment to a venue that Allura was holding, usually it was the same boring idle talk over paintings that Lance couldn't be bothered to keep track of. Lance had been the first one to find a random patch of space to dance in, and just like a tidal wave everyone seemed to follow, the paintings forgotten as it turned more into a ball than anything else. Keith grimaced as Lance made his way over to him, a grin on his face as he tried to pull the weary Keith up onto his feet. Keith was stubborn and was able to resist, and so that had left Lance to pull up a chair in front of Keith to stare at him._

_He could be a painting. He could be a model._

_But then again Lance already knew this, he had read it before experiencing it for himself. The beautiful Keith Kogane. A man both envied and admired. A man who, at a whim, could find himself someone who was willing to take him to bed. Really it was a enticing. Keith's tie was undone and hanging limply at his throat, his shirt was slightly creased as he sat, almost lounge like, with a wine glass in hand. He looked like a god or a king watching the party go on. He could be the god Cupid, or even Zeus because didn't he have sex with many people? But isn't he old? Lance felt his face soften into a sly grin as Keith's eyes turned to his._

_"What?"_

_"Don't you dance?" Lance asked._

_"No. Preferably I dance in bed."_

_"No wonder it's so unique." Keith snorted and waved Lance away with a hand._

_"You've drunk too much, because you're being cheesy." Kaith mumbled, he took a sip of his wine, his gaze never leaving Lance's. Lance licked his lips._

_"I could show you." Lance commented as he straightened and shuffled his chair closer. He knew people were watching him, probably wondering why Lance McClain had a sudden interest in boys in the first place._

_It's all because of him. Lance made a face at Keith as he squinted at Keith's tie._

_"Why is your tie loose?"_

_"Umm because someone earlier tried to get me up against a wall," Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance, "And I'm slightly concerned that you remember none of that. If I recall correctly you had a erection and I locked you in the brooms cupboard, well let me rephrase that. I locked us in the cupboard. "_

_"Sounds dashing." Keith snorted once more._

_"You're smashed," How long had they been here? How long had this party been stretching on? 1 hour? 2 hour? 3 hour? 4? Lance couldn't control an eruption of laughter as he clutched his sides. Keith snorted once more, taking another sip of wine. "I think you need to have a lie down," Keith got up from his seat and straightened his shirt before gently placing his hand on Lance's shoulder. "I think Allura won't mind if I place you in the sun room. Would she?"_

_Lance jumped as a voice came to his left and his eyes were meet with Allura's. "I think that would be a good idea Keith." She had her hair down, her hair no unbound compared to earlier. Lance had the sudden urge to pop her on the nose. He did so. Allura face went still as she carefully helped Keith keep Lance steady so he could place Lance's arm around Keith's neck. Lance giggled as he broke free from Keith's grip and raced him to the sunroom, ignoring the looks he was being given to those who hadn't drunken as much. Allura left them to it as she figured that it wouldn't be proper like to ignore her other guests. Lance stopped to look back at Keith, a smile on his face, and in the corner were a mirror was stationed against a wall, Lance could see himself to. A smile was plastered on his face, and his hair was wild and his shirt untucked and semi unbuttoned, Lance noted with some satisfaction that Keith's pupils dilated as he took Lance in._

_"Race you." Lance commented as Keith drew to his side. Keith shook his head._

_"I don't think so. You'll puke everywhere."_

_"I will not. Watch me," Lance stated simply as he raced down the corridor with a loud 'weeee'. Keith snorted a laugh from behind him as he didn't race to to keep up with him. "See I didn't!" Lance called a big 'off' following as Lance jumped on to the lounge suite and landed on his back. His stomach did a twist._

_"Yes Lance, good job." Keith commented as he turned on the lights that Lance didn't want on. He squinted against the burning light as made a sound._

_"You sound like an owner to a dog. Good boy, bad boy." Lance felt a laugh bubble from his chest and erupt from his mouth. Keith gave a light smirk as he snagged a blanket from the nearest chair._

_"Well people do say it to other people." Keith replied innocently, his eyes just pecking to have a look at Lance. Lance grinned._

_"So Keith Kogane comes to play." Lance remarked as he took of his shoes using his feet._

_"No. I came here to get you to rest. You might sober up a bit as you're expected to say the final speech."_

_"Hmm. Can you do that? I don't like speeches." Keith's eyes sparkled as he sat next to Lance's side, his hand on Lance's chest to keep him down. He drew the blanket over Lance and traced a finger through Lance's hair and found a strand to play with._

_"Sorry no can do. I hate speeches myself and anyway this party you helped organize." Lance snorted in response as he pouted and squinted at Keith._

_"Why do you have to be so pretty?" Lance asked after a moment of silence. "I swear they only make people like you in magazines." Despite his usual hard to embarrass personality, Keith flushed._

_"Lance you're drunk."_

_"On you." Lance said with some heat to his words, the drunk Lance frustrated as his flirting didn't get received how he wanted it to. Keith was meant to stammer and say something else. Even if Lance didn't know what else, he wanted something different, not something that was a fact and totally not necessary. Lance could feel his head begin to pound._

_Keith flashed a smile then, his cheeks darkening. "Lance please in the morning you'll be embarrassed by yourself, that is if you remember."_

_"I'm being honest here Keith." Lance replied seriously. Keith ducked his head, the blush crawling up his cheeks to his ears. Lance wanted to kiss him but he thought that maybe his breath wouldn't taste that nice. SO he left it. Keith cleared his throat._

_"Do you want water?" Keith asked, his hands playing with one of his buttons. Lance's eyes trained on his fingers, although Keith didn't notice he was still blushing with his chin tucked into his neck._

_"Yes please," Lance answered, suddenly sober as he watched Keith stand and glimpse at Lance. His eyes were still dark, and he had licked his lips making the wet. Lance ignored the familiar tightness in his pants as he continued to fantasize longer. Keith nodded and without another word he left to find Lance a drink. Lance left the images stay there and by the time Keith was back he didn't care that he had an erection but was more interested in what Keith thought about it. Keith didn't seem to mind, actually he didn't seem to notice his brow in a frown as he looked down at his phone, a glass of water in the other hand. Lance felt a flash of disappointment as Keith set the glass down and gave Lance a quick smile before typing further. "Is everything alright?" Keith typed again frantically his eyes wide and almost wet._

_"Yeah."_

_"You're not okay. You look like you're about to burst into tears."_

_"My foster parents think that maybe they've found my birth mother." Keith stammered as a reply came with a ding of his phone, Keith began to type again. Lance sat up, his head spinning but he didn't care. Keith's blood mother was alive?_

_"What's Shiro like?"_

_"He's fine, he was the one that actually told me," Keith replied as he turn off his phone and rubbed his eyes with his thumb. Lance felt his heart quicken as Keith sat down beside him, although Lance knew that he wouldn't be in the mood now. Keith was smiling and wiping his wet eyes. Lance stayed his hands from moving and gazed into Keith's eyes. Keith's eyes were wet with tears, and his pupils were dilated. And without meaning to Lance brushed his lips up against Keith's. Keith froze slightly causing for Lance to draw back. A rush of shame overwhelmed Lance. He shouldn't have done that without asking. Keith blinked for a moment his eyes glued to Lance as he to began to lean in closer. His lips brushed Lance's, their breaths mingled as their lips stayed just a fraction apart and just enough for it to briefly touch one another. Somehow it seemed more intimate than anything they had done before and Lance felt his heart freeze in his chest and his lungs construct almost painfully as he tried to slow his breathing. "Why are we doing this?" Keith asked in a whisper, but he didn't draw back. His hands wound around Lance's waist but they didn't move closer._

_"Doing what?" Lance asked, generally curious as to what 'this' meant._

_"Chasing one another but not really catching." Keith replied. His voice was rough and his eyes dilated as Lance made eye contact. Lance had one of his hands running through Keith's soft hair and then down to Keith's chin and then to his eyebrows and cheekbone._

_"I think I know what you mean by that," Lance commented, he could see his eyes mirrored in Keith's. He looked so small compared to Keith who was leant over him with his eyes dilated. Keith's nose began to rub up against Lance's causing for Lance to lean in further towards the contact. "It kinda tickles." Keith closed the gap between them and suddenly they were kissing each other. Not passionately like in this stories that Lance had heard over and over again as a child, no it was more wet and hot than anything he had ever imagined, but somehow it seemed to be better than he could have imagined it to be. Better than the stories. Keith drew back as they continued to pant for air, Lance smiled at Keith._

_Keith laughed, a sudden burst of motion that caught Lance by surprise, it had Lance laughing to. Finally they both stopped and looked at one another again._

_"This is gay." Lance commented almost sarcastically. Keith rolled his eyes._

_"That's because..._ we'regayforeachother _?" Keith rushed the last part his cheeks colouring as he averted his eyes. Lance looked down as he laughed nervously._

_"Yeah I guess we are." Lance grumbled as he began to play with the blanket. Keith snorted in relief, his hands now seeking Lance's chin._

_"I guess if you want to speak about it-"_

_"We can speak about it now." Lance interrupted, his heart was beginning to squeeze in suspension, his lungs couldn't take in air and he was beginning to break a sweat._

_"No. You need to rest for a bit. But if you're looking for me later, after you've rested I'll be out by the pool." Lance nodded, a shy smile now playing on his lips as a awkwardness came up between them. Like they both didn't know what to do after they had told one another that they were 'gay' for each other, or in Lance's case, 'bi' for him. "If I'm not their just go and find Pidge or Hunk, I'll probably be around them."_

 

_**Back to present...** _

 

Keith. Keith. Where was he? Lance couldn't breath, his lungs were now choking on nothing. Soon he'd pass out, maybe even die. Lance felt his strength ebb away slower than what happened in the movies, perhaps the murderer wasn't as skilled as Keith thought he was? The blackness in Lance's vision began to spread, his face were streaked with tears as he weakly grabbed at the murderers hands. It was to late, the darkness had already claimed him. 


End file.
